Given name & surname · also Hungarian, Scottish
Leslie
“garden of hollies”·“from the holly garden; of the gray fortress”
Leslie is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “garden of hollies” (Scottish and Hungarian), “from the holly garden; of the gray fortress”, and “garden of hollies”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “garden of hollies” (Scottish and Hungarian), “from the holly garden; of the gray fortress”, and “garden of hollies”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Scottish and Hungarian naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
How it developed
From Scottish Gaelic lios cuileann (“garden of hollies”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Leslie has a related form in Lesley. The history of Lesley gives this family its wider story. An early recorded use of Lesley for a woman appears in a poem by Robert Burns. In Britain, Lesley later became especially associated with feminine use, though that convention is specific to its naming context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Leslie through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 383,418
- 112,989 boys · 270,429 girls
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 8,199 babies
- 2025
- 425
- #712 for girls · #3,563 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 7% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 393 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 712 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 28.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 6,103 in 1957. It also appeared in 32 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (69). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 290,492 as a first name in 2020; 24,015 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Leslie’s family of names
In English usage, Leslie has a diminutive in Les. Leslie has a related form in Lesley. Leslie has a related form in Lesley.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Leslie has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Irish roots to each of them.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 20
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Leslie
- Gerald Fordpresident of the United States from 1974 to 1977 (1913–2006)
- Bob HopeAmerican entertainer (1903–2003)
- Leslie NielsenCanadian-American actor and comedian (1926–2010)
- Leslie CaronFrench and American actress and dancer (born 1931)
- Leslie MannAmerican actressborn 1972
- Mark HughesWelsh football managerborn 1963
- Leslie CheungHong Kong singer and actor (1956–2003)
- Leslie HowardBritish actor (1893–1943)
- Leslie BibbAmerican actressborn 1973
Characters named Leslie: Leslie Winkle (the television series The Big Bang Theory), Leslie Thompkins (the Batman mythos).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Leslie, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elaine
“the shining light” · “resembling a fawn”
>99% girls
Lorna
“crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree”
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Kelly
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21% boys · 79% girls
Gwendolyn
“one who is fair; of the white ring”
>99% girls
Bonnie
“a pretty and charming girl”
>99% girls
Charlene
“a small, strong woman”
>99% girls
Bridget
Bridget is a feminine given name from Irish.
>99% girls
Sheila
“one who is blind” · “one of cool conduct and character”
>99% girls