Leslee is a unique and distinctive female given name of American origin. It is believed to have been coined by the writer Zelda Fitzgerald in honor of her daughter, who was born in 1934. Zelda named her daughter after two people she admired: actress Leslie Howard and writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The meaning behind the name Leslee is not explicitly known, as it was created rather than being derived from an existing word or name. However, some sources suggest that it may be a combination of the names Leslie and Lee, with each component having its own significance.
The name Leslie is believed to have originated from a Scottish surname which means "garden of peace" in Gaelic. It has been used as both a male and female given name for several centuries. The name Lee, on the other hand, is an English name that means "clearing by the water."
Despite its unique origin and meaning, Leslee has not gained widespread popularity as a given name. According to data from the Social Security Administration in the United States, it has never appeared in the top 1000 most popular baby names for girls since records began in 1879.
Nevertheless, Leslee remains a striking and memorable name that is often associated with its notable namesake, Zelda Fitzgerald's daughter. It may be particularly appealing to those who appreciate uncommon names or have an interest in American literature and history.
The name Leslee has seen a varied pattern of usage over the years in the United States, with a total of 96 babies given this name since 1955.
In the early years, there were consistently around 6 births per year between 1955 and 1965. There was a slight dip in popularity in 1963 and 1967 with only 5 births each year, but it picked up again in 1970 with 7 births.
The name Leslee reached its peak popularity in the late 70s to early 80s. There were 10 babies named Leslee in 1978, which was the highest number of births for this name in any given year. This trend continued into the next decade with 5 births each year from 1981 to 1985.
However, the popularity of the name Leslee started to decline again in the late 80s and early 90s. There were only 5 births in both 1990 and 2000, indicating a significant decrease in its usage over time.
Despite this decline, there was a slight resurgence in popularity in 1999 with 6 births. This shows that while the name Leslee may not be as popular as it once was, it is still being used today, albeit to a lesser extent than before.