Lesley is a name of Scottish origin, derived from the place name "Leslie," which comes from the Old French word "less" meaning "garden." The name has been used as both a given name and a surname for centuries in Scotland.
The earliest known use of Lesley as a given name was in the 16th century, when it was used by the Earls of Rothes. However, it did not become popular as a given name until much later, in the mid-20th century. Today, Lesley is still a relatively uncommon name, but it can be found worldwide.
The meaning behind the name Lesley varies depending on the source, but it is often interpreted to mean "garden" or "enclosed meadow." It is also sometimes associated with the Scottish motto "Virtutis Gloria Merces," which means "Glory is the reward of virtue."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lesley. These include Lesley Howard, a British actor from the 1930s and 40s, and Lesley Joseph, an English actress best known for her role as Dorien Green in the sitcom "Birds of a Feather." In addition, Lesley is also a popular name among royalty, having been used by several members of the Scottish nobility throughout history.
Based on the statistics provided for the name Lesley in the United States from 1882 to 2016, we can observe several trends and patterns over time.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, there were relatively few births with the name Lesley each year, ranging from just a single birth in some years to a maximum of 17 births in 1903. However, beginning around 1915, we start to see an increase in the number of babies named Lesley, with the annual tally reaching as high as 58 births in 1922.
This trend continues throughout the 1920s and 1930s, with varying levels of popularity for the name. The peak year during this period was 1944, when there were 70 babies named Lesley born in the United States. Interestingly, after World War II, the number of Lesleys being born began to decline once again.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the annual count of Lesley births fluctuated between around 50 and 100, with a peak of 102 in 1958. However, by the late 1960s and early 1970s, the popularity of the name had waned significantly, with fewer than 75 Lesleys born each year.
The decline continued through the 1980s and 1990s, reaching an all-time low in recent years. Since the turn of the century, there have been fewer than 25 Lesley births per year on average, with some years seeing as few as five or six newborn girls bearing this name.
Despite the decline in popularity in recent decades, it's worth noting that over the course of the entire period from 1882 to 2016, a total of 4798 babies were named Lesley at birth in the United States. This indicates that while the name may not be as popular today as it once was, there is still a significant community of individuals who bear this name and contribute to its ongoing history.