Leslie

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Leslie

Gender: Masculine and Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Leslie is a Scottish surname from Lesslyn, from Lescelin, meaning “Garden of Holly,” from “leas cuilinn.”

History:
Leslie the Scottish surname coming from a place near Aberdeenshire. Like many other Scottish surnames (Douglas, Stuart, etc.) it was transferred for use as a first name in the 19th century. It’s earliest noted bearer is a Leslie Stephen born in 1832. During the 1890s, it became fairly popular (mostly for males, but occasionally for females). Traditionally, Leslie is the masculine spelling and Lesley is the feminine, although this does not seem to apply any more (at least, in the United States).

Pronunciation: lez-lee.

Diminutives:
English: Les.

Alternates: Lesley.

Alternates (female): Lesley, Lesliee, Leslee, Lesli, Lesly, Leslye.

See also: Lesley.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Sir Leslie Ward (m., 1851-1922)
British caricaturist.
Leslie Charteris (m., 1907-1993)
British author.
Leslie Murray (m., 1938-)
Australian poet.
Leslie Marmon Silko (f., 1948-)
American poet.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Sir Leslie Stephen (m., 1832-1904)
British critic.
Leslie Ephraim Spier (m., 1893-1961)
American anthropologist.
Leslie A. White (m., 1900-1975)
American anthropologist.
Leslie T. Wilkins (m., 1915-)
English criminologist.
Leslie A. Fiedler (m., 1917-)
American literary critic.

Miscellaneous:
Sir Leslie James Morshead (m., 1889-1959)
Australian military officer.
Leslie Groves (m., 1896-1970)
American soldier.
Leslie Ames (m., 1905-1990)
British cricket player.

Political Figures:
Leslie Hore-Belisha (m., 1893-1957)
British secretary of war.
Leslie Arends (m., 1895-1985)
American politician.

Scientists:
Leslie John Comrie (m., 1893-1950)
New Zealand astronomer.
L(eslie) C. Dunn (m., 1893-1974)
American geneticist.

Singers and Entertainers:
Mrs. Leslie Carter (Caroline Louise Dudley) (f., 1862-1937)
American actress.
Leslie Howard (m., 1893-1943)
British actor.
Leslie Nielsen (m., 1926-)
Canadian actor.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census, for males:
0.081 % named Leslie
0.004 % named Lesley

Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census, for females:
0.154 % named Leslie
0.019 % named Lesley
0.003 % named Leslee
0.003 % named Lesli
less than 0.001 % named Lesly

Popularity of Leslie, for males:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 93rd most popular.
1910-1920: 109th most popular.
1920-1930: 117th most popular.
1930-1940: 136th most popular.
1940-1950: 125th most popular.
1950-1960: 152nd most popular.
1960-1970: 206th most popular.
1970-1980: 275th most popular.
1980-1990: 446th most popular.
1990: 613th most popular.
1991: 617th most popular.
1992: 707th most popular.
1993: 714th most popular.
1994: 725th most popular.
1995: 780th most popular.
1996: 820th most popular.
1997: 871st most popular.
1998: N/A

Popularity of Leslie, for females:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 615th most popular.
1910-1920: 708th most popular.
1920-1930: 742nd most popular.
1930-1940: 557th most popular.
1940-1950: 172nd most popular.
1950-1960: 100th most popular.
1960-1970: 71st most popular.
1970-1980: 69th most popular.
1980-1990: 70th most popular.
1990: 116th most popular.
1991: 123rd most popular.
1992: 131st most popular.
1993: 139th most popular.
1994: 133rd most popular.
1995: 135th most popular.
1996: 120th most popular.
1997: 116th most popular.
1998: 110th most popular.
1999: 100th most popular.
2000: 89th most popular.
2001: 84th most popular.
2002: 94th most popular.
2003: 92nd most popular.

In France...
1900-1970: N/A
1977: 188th most popular.
1980: 137th most popular.
1990: 107th most popular.
2000: 182nd most popular.

Popularity of Lesly, for females:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1990: N/A
1994: N/A
1995: 912th most popular.
1996: 663rd most popular.
1997: 582nd most popular.
1998: 504th most popular.
1999: 417th most popular.
2000: 391st most popular.
2001: 372nd most popular.
2002: 405th most popular.
2003: 365th most popular.