Leslie is a name of Scottish origin, derived from the Scottish surname Leslie, which was originally a Norman French name meaning "from Lessay", a town in Normandy, France. The name has been used as both a given name and a surname throughout history.
The first recorded use of the name Leslie as a given name was in Scotland during the 13th century. It was initially used as a boy's name, but over time it became more commonly associated with girls.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Leslie. One of the most famous is Henry Leslie, an English composer and organist who lived during the 17th century. Another notable figure is the American actress Leslie Howard, who was active in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.
Today, Leslie remains a popular given name, with variations such as Lesley and Leslie-Anne being particularly common. Despite its traditional Scottish origins, the name has been widely adopted around the world and is now used by people of various backgrounds and nationalities.
Based on the statistics provided, the name Lesli has seen a significant rise and fall in popularity over the years in the United States.
The earliest recorded birth of a child named Lesli was in 1946, with 13 births that year. The popularity of the name steadily increased throughout the late 1940s to early 1950s, peaking at 145 births in 1957.
However, from the mid-1960s onwards, there was a significant decrease in the number of babies named Lesli. The highest number of births recorded after this point was in 1963, with 145 births. This is still significantly lower than the peak in popularity seen in the late 1950s.
The name continued to decline in popularity throughout the remainder of the century and into the early 2000s. The lowest number of Lesli births recorded was in 2016, with only 10 babies named Lesli that year.
Despite this decline in popularity, the name Lesli has experienced a slight resurgence in recent years. There were 17 births in both 2020 and 2021, indicating that while the name may not be as popular as it once was, there is still some interest in it among parents.
In total, over the period from 1946 to 2023, there have been a total of 5763 births of children named Lesli in the United States. This shows that while the name may not be as popular now as it once was, it has still been given to a significant number of babies over the years.