Baby Name Popularity Profile

Leslie

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Leslie.

✦ Garden of hollies or grey fortress 🌍 Celtic nature traditional
National Rank (2025) #712
All-Time Peak Rank #56 Achieved 1981
Total U.S. Births 270,429 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 4.1% Boy / 95.9% Girl Overwhelmingly Female
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1960s 6,103 births in 1957
💡 The Leslie Vibe: Considered a Declining Classic. A previously dominant name currently experiencing a prolonged generational cooling period.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Garden of hollies or grey fortress
Language Origin Celtic
Origin Type single
Derived from a Scottish surname, which was originally a placename in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The placename is thought to derive from Gaelic elements meaning 'garden of hollies' or 'grey fortress'.
Common Nicknames
Les Lee
Alternative Spellings
Lesley Lesly
Pronunciation: LEZ-lee
Themes & Categories
nature traditional
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Leslie

According to SSA data, Leslie achieved its highest historical rank of #56 in 1981. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1957 with 6,103 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 55.3%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Leslie across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -55.3% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 6,103 births in 1957
Years in Top 100 41 yrs
Years in Top 500 83 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 126
1890s: 257
1900s: 324
1910s: 785
1920s: 1,241
1930s: 1,447
1940s: 14,856
1950s: 43,049
1960s: 54,453
1970s: 44,839
1980s: 38,729
1990s: 26,769
2000s: 31,055
2010s: 9,752
2020s: 2,747

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Les-lie
Letter Count 6 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 25.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 25.7% of SSA names. Starts with L, a letter used by only 5.7% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Leslie.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State District of Columbia
Top States District of Columbia, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Texas
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
District of Columbia Unranked 1,977 1962 Insufficient historical volume
California #527 43,411 2002 38.2% Decline
Nevada Unranked 1,364 2004 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 479 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #473 26,884 2001 8.0% Decline
Oregon Unranked 3,098 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Utah Unranked 2,789 1957 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #659 4,045 2006 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 1,719 1983 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado Unranked 3,703 2003 Insufficient historical volume
Washington Unranked 4,966 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 932 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho Unranked 1,167 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana Unranked 5,129 1969 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut Unranked 3,083 1957 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma #587 3,793 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #409 4,152 1967 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 1,003 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #427 13,153 1957 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 809 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #476 4,572 1981 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 529 1962 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #832 7,157 1970 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #792 5,423 1982 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #749 7,012 1957 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 352 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 2,718 1980 Insufficient historical volume
New York #963 19,169 1957 42.9% Decline
Virginia #1124 5,591 1971 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #650 7,024 1974 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama Unranked 4,374 1974 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #641 8,048 1980 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas Unranked 2,480 1981 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #773 10,817 1970 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts Unranked 5,737 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #1131 5,510 1969 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #874 5,175 1969 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #1152 7,932 1958 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina Unranked 2,990 1974 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi Unranked 2,605 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania Unranked 10,533 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska Unranked 1,425 1981 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 1,701 1981 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 303 1964 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 716 1961 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 540 1983 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota Unranked 2,937 1957 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 497 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa Unranked 2,092 1968 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 494 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin Unranked 2,847 1969 Insufficient historical volume

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Dennis Danny Robin Douglas Keith Ray Joseph Thomas Steven Philip
👧 Sister Suggestions
Kathryn Myra Anne Gwen Roslyn Brenda Nadine Yvonne Debora Janice

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