At a glance
- In short
- Leslie traces its roots to the Scottish surname derived from the lands of Lesslyn in Aberdeenshire, the name itself thought to stem from Gaelic elements loosely meaning “garden beside the holly.”
- U.S. rank 2025
- #712 of girl names
- Babies in 2025
- 393 (0.022% of girls)
- Trend
- Slipping #595 in 2020 to #712 in 2025
- Peak
- #56 in 1981
- First recorded
- 1880
Meaning of Leslie
Leslie traces its roots to the Scottish surname derived from the lands of Lesslyn in Aberdeenshire, the name itself thought to stem from Gaelic elements loosely meaning “garden beside the holly.” Carried across the Atlantic in the 18th and 19th centuries, it settled comfortably into American usage, shifting from a predominantly masculine clan name to a largely feminine given name after World War II. Pronounced LEZ-lee, it has shown a steady if unhurried presence on U.S. birth charts—peaking in the early 1980s yet refusing to fade entirely, a testament to its adaptable charm. Notables such as comedic actress Leslie Mann, jazz legend Leslie “Les” Brown, and author Leslie Marmon Silko give the name cultural range, while its unisex history lends it a quiet confidence; it can mingle at an academic conference as easily as on a concert poster. Parents seeking a familiar but not over-saturated choice may find Leslie’s understated resilience—and the faint scent of Scottish holly—an appealing combination.
How to pronounce Leslie
English
- Pronounced LEZ-lee /ˈlɛzli/
Popularity of Leslie in the U.S.
Leslie was the #712 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 393 babies. It peaked at #56 in 1981 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1880.
- Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1880–2025 146 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 393 | 712 | ▼ 107 |
| 2024 | 496 | 605 | ▲ 65 |
| 2023 | 440 | 670 | ▼ 19 |
| 2022 | 453 | 651 | ▼ 28 |
| 2021 | 477 | 623 | ▼ 28 |
| 2020 | 488 | 595 | ▼ 59 |
| 2019 | 572 | 536 | ▼ 15 |
| 2018 | 601 | 521 | ▼ 72 |
| 2017 | 704 | 449 | ▼ 36 |
| 2016 | 807 | 413 | ▼ 42 |
| 2015 | 880 | 371 | ▼ 33 |
| 2014 | 1,000 | 338 | ▼ 51 |
| 2013 | 1,111 | 287 | ▼ 21 |
| 2012 | 1,226 | 266 | ▼ 20 |
| 2011 | 1,286 | 246 | ▼ 47 |
| 2010 | 1,565 | 199 | ▼ 39 |
| 2009 | 1,983 | 160 | ▼ 13 |
| 2008 | 2,326 | 147 | ▼ 20 |
| 2007 | 2,690 | 127 | ▼ 19 |
| 2006 | 3,036 | 108 | ▼ 5 |
| 2005 | 3,123 | 103 | ▼ 10 |
| 2004 | 3,501 | 93 | ▼ 2 |
| 2003 | 3,639 | 91 | – |
| 2002 | 3,522 | 91 | ▼ 7 |
| 2001 | 3,612 | 84 | ▲ 6 |
| 2000 | 3,623 | 90 | ▲ 10 |
| 1999 | 3,341 | 100 | ▲ 11 |
| 1998 | 3,079 | 111 | ▲ 4 |
| 1997 | 2,821 | 115 | ▲ 3 |
| 1996 | 2,664 | 118 | ▲ 19 |
| 1995 | 2,313 | 137 | ▼ 6 |
| 1994 | 2,398 | 131 | ▲ 7 |
| 1993 | 2,294 | 138 | ▼ 5 |
| 1992 | 2,482 | 133 | ▼ 9 |
| 1991 | 2,550 | 124 | ▼ 9 |
| 1990 | 2,827 | 115 | ▼ 7 |
| 1989 | 2,865 | 108 | ▼ 14 |
| 1988 | 3,079 | 94 | ▼ 5 |
| 1987 | 3,194 | 89 | ▼ 3 |
| 1986 | 3,224 | 86 | ▼ 10 |
| 1985 | 3,607 | 76 | ▼ 1 |
| 1984 | 3,817 | 75 | ▼ 8 |
| 1983 | 4,248 | 67 | ▼ 7 |
| 1982 | 4,985 | 60 | ▼ 4 |
| 1981 | 4,934 | 56 | ▲ 5 |
| 1980 | 4,776 | 61 | ▲ 4 |
| 1979 | 4,497 | 65 | ▼ 2 |
| 1978 | 4,342 | 63 | ▲ 2 |
| 1977 | 4,250 | 65 | – |
| 1976 | 4,311 | 65 | ▲ 6 |
| 1975 | 4,105 | 71 | ▼ 6 |
| 1974 | 4,463 | 65 | ▲ 10 |
| 1973 | 3,954 | 75 | – |
| 1972 | 4,184 | 75 | ▼ 7 |
| 1971 | 5,111 | 68 | ▼ 4 |
| 1970 | 5,622 | 64 | – |
| 1969 | 5,836 | 64 | ▲ 2 |
| 1968 | 5,282 | 66 | – |
| 1967 | 5,318 | 66 | ▲ 5 |
| 1966 | 4,999 | 71 | ▲ 4 |
| 1965 | 4,875 | 75 | ▼ 2 |
| 1964 | 5,598 | 73 | ▼ 1 |
| 1963 | 5,857 | 72 | ▲ 8 |
| 1962 | 5,778 | 80 | ▲ 4 |
| 1961 | 5,668 | 84 | ▲ 8 |
| 1960 | 5,242 | 92 | ▼ 8 |
| 1959 | 5,652 | 84 | ▼ 5 |
| 1958 | 6,014 | 79 | ▼ 2 |
| 1957 | 6,103 | 77 | ▲ 27 |
| 1956 | 4,382 | 104 | ▼ 5 |
| 1955 | 4,405 | 99 | – |
| 1954 | 4,147 | 99 | ▼ 3 |
| 1953 | 3,904 | 96 | ▲ 8 |
| 1952 | 3,573 | 104 | ▲ 29 |
| 1951 | 2,540 | 133 | ▲ 1 |
| 1950 | 2,329 | 134 | ▼ 2 |
| 1949 | 2,418 | 132 | ▼ 1 |
| 1948 | 2,305 | 131 | ▲ 1 |
| 1947 | 2,358 | 132 | ▼ 2 |
| 1946 | 2,139 | 130 | ▲ 12 |
| 1945 | 1,704 | 142 | ▲ 40 |
| 1944 | 1,202 | 182 | ▲ 9 |
| 1943 | 1,137 | 191 | ▲ 40 |
| 1942 | 834 | 231 | ▲ 57 |
| 1941 | 505 | 288 | ▲ 139 |
| 1940 | 254 | 427 | ▲ 72 |
| 1939 | 179 | 499 | ▲ 5 |
| 1938 | 176 | 504 | ▼ 11 |
| 1937 | 177 | 493 | ▼ 13 |
| 1936 | 179 | 480 | ▲ 22 |
| 1935 | 161 | 502 | ▲ 77 |
| 1934 | 125 | 579 | ▼ 1 |
| 1933 | 123 | 578 | ▲ 120 |
| 1932 | 94 | 698 | ▼ 36 |
| 1931 | 101 | 662 | ▼ 62 |
| 1930 | 132 | 600 | ▲ 94 |
| 1929 | 102 | 694 | ▼ 2 |
| 1928 | 102 | 692 | ▼ 54 |
| 1927 | 126 | 638 | ▼ 39 |
| 1926 | 140 | 599 | ▲ 23 |
| 1925 | 139 | 622 | ▲ 10 |
| 1924 | 142 | 632 | ▼ 45 |
| 1923 | 151 | 587 | ▲ 72 |
| 1922 | 121 | 659 | ▼ 5 |
| 1921 | 126 | 654 | ▲ 103 |
| 1920 | 92 | 757 | ▼ 106 |
| 1919 | 114 | 651 | ▼ 24 |
| 1918 | 127 | 627 | ▲ 63 |
| 1917 | 99 | 690 | ▼ 11 |
| 1916 | 101 | 679 | ▲ 34 |
| 1915 | 88 | 713 | ▼ 12 |
| 1914 | 68 | 701 | ▲ 20 |
| 1913 | 52 | 721 | ▼ 4 |
| 1912 | 49 | 717 | ▲ 16 |
| 1911 | 35 | 733 | ▼ 163 |
| 1910 | 52 | 570 | ▲ 99 |
| 1909 | 35 | 669 | ▼ 86 |
| 1908 | 41 | 583 | ▲ 54 |
| 1907 | 34 | 637 | ▲ 41 |
| 1906 | 29 | 678 | ▼ 91 |
| 1905 | 35 | 587 | ▲ 42 |
| 1904 | 30 | 629 | ▲ 51 |
| 1903 | 24 | 680 | ▼ 152 |
| 1902 | 37 | 528 | ▲ 49 |
| 1901 | 29 | 577 | ▲ 62 |
| 1900 | 30 | 639 | ▲ 117 |
| 1899 | 18 | 756 | ▼ 90 |
| 1898 | 24 | 666 | ▼ 169 |
| 1897 | 34 | 497 | ▲ 97 |
| 1896 | 27 | 594 | ▲ 64 |
| 1895 | 22 | 658 | ▼ 195 |
| 1894 | 36 | 463 | ▲ 84 |
| 1893 | 26 | 547 | ▲ 43 |
| 1892 | 22 | 590 | ▼ 107 |
| 1891 | 28 | 483 | ▲ 95 |
| 1890 | 20 | 578 | ▼ 46 |
| 1889 | 23 | 532 | ▼ 7 |
| 1888 | 23 | 525 | ▲ 136 |
| 1887 | 12 | 661 | ▲ 167 |
| 1886 | 8 | 828 | ▼ 133 |
| 1885 | 10 | 695 | ▼ 154 |
| 1884 | 15 | 541 | ▲ 213 |
| 1883 | 7 | 754 | ▼ 120 |
| 1882 | 9 | 634 | ▼ 131 |
| 1881 | 11 | 503 | ▲ 125 |
| 1880 | 8 | 628 | – |
Leslie by state
Notable people named Leslie
- Leslie Howard Steiner was a renowned English actor and writer who contributed to publications like The New York Times and was a major film star in the 1930s.
- Leslie Cheung was a celebrated Hong Kong singer and actor, renowned as a major cultural icon for his charismatic and avant-garde performances over a 26-year career.
- Leslie Nielsen was a prolific Canadian-American actor and comedian with a 60-year career, starring in over 100 films and 150 television shows.
- Leslie Lloyd Odom Jr. is an American actor, singer, and songwriter acclaimed for his Tony and Grammy-winning role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton.
- Leslie Allen Jordan was an American actor and comedian celebrated for his roles in Will & Grace and American Horror Story, as well as his viral Instagram fame during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More people named Leslie 8 more
- Leslie Caron is a French-American actress and dancer who has won a Golden Globe, two BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy, and received two Academy Award nominations.
- Leslie Halasz Sabo Jr. was a U.S. Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in the Vietnam War's Cambodian Campaign.
- Leslie Marian Uggams is an American actress and singer acclaimed for winning a Tony Award and her role in "Roots."
- Leslie Grace Martínez is an American singer, songwriter, and actress with three Latin Grammy nominations, recognized for her role in In the Heights.
- Leslie Merritt Hall is an American satirical rap artist who fronts the band Leslie and the LY's, gained fame for viral YouTube hits, and is a member of the pop duo Neon & Nude.
- Leslie Earl Robertson was an American engineer renowned as the lead structural engineer of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers and for his contributions to other landmark skyscrapers worldwide.
- Leslie B. Lamport is an American computer scientist and mathematician renowned for his pioneering work in distributed systems and creating the LaTeX document preparation system.
- Leslie Gabriel Valiant is a Turing Award-winning British American computer scientist and Harvard professor renowned for his profound contributions to theoretical computer science.