NameChart

Leslie

Unisex

Leslie has been given to 383,418 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1957 and currently ranks #712 for girls (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈlɛzli/

From a placename in Aberdeenshire, originally Lesslyn, Scottish Gaelic lios cuileann (“garden of hollies”).

Origin: surnames

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

01.526k3.052k4.577k6.103k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

383,418

Peak year

1957 (8,199 babies)

Rank in 2025

#712 for girls

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -55%

Gender split

71% girls / 29% boys

Famous people named Leslie

Gerald Ford

President of the United States from 1974 to 1977 (1913–2006)

Bob Hope

American entertainer (1903–2003)

Leslie Nielsen

Canadian-American actor and comedian (1926–2010)

Leslie Caron

French and American actress and dancer (born 1931)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Leslie.

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