Leslie

LEZ·lee · 2 syllables

Leslie feels distinctive without creating everyday friction in daily use.

Meaning: garden of holly

89/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

Pronunciation & Spelling
Effortless
A documented English pronunciation is on file: LEZ-lee.
91/100
Everyday Use
Low risk
Shortens naturally in everyday use, with two established short forms.
95/100
Growing Up
Strong lifetime fit
Works comfortably across child and adult settings.
82/100
International Use
Broad international fit
Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.
85/100

NAME DETAILS

COMMON FORMS: Les; Lessie
CLOSE SPELLINGS: Lesly; Lesleigh

ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

garden of holly. The commonly cited "garden of holly" meaning is hedged as "probably"/"possibly" by both sources consulted, not stated as certain. Leslie also has a second, unrelated documented usage as an anglicization of Ladislaus/László, which this profile keeps separate rather than blending into one narrative.

Documented roots: Gaelic.

POPULARITY

Leslie over time

United States

#712RANK

Rank #712 gives national context, not a classroom forecast.

Uncommon in current U.S. usage. Ranked #712 in the U.S., 2025.

SourceU.S. Social Security Administration · 2025 release

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

LEZ·lee

STRESS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

COMMON FORMS

Les
Lessie

CLOSE SPELLINGS

Lesly
Lesleigh

OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS

LesleyUK feminine spelling
Ladislaus / László (separate anglicization lane)

PRACTICAL LIFE

How This Name Lives

AT SCHOOL & DAY TO DAY

Two syllables and phonetically manageable for a child (/ˈlɛz.li/ or /ˈlɛs.li/), with the informal short forms Les/Lessie available.

Cultural Footprint

Leslie originated as a Scottish surname/place name in Aberdeenshire associated with Clan Leslie, transitioning to given-name use in the 19th century. In the UK, the spelling Leslie is conventionally used for boys and Lesley for girls, though in US usage (per this project's own SSA data) Leslie itself has been the more common feminine spelling, especially from the 1940s onward.

More about Leslie

FORMALITY

Leslie functions as the formal given name; Les serves as an informal short form.

EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

Leslie is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

A documented English pronunciation is on file. Uses standard characters that systems widely handle cleanly.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK