Lee
Lee was the 727th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 366 babies. Its best year was 1900, when it ranked 39th; the most babies were born in 1951 (3,682). Over the last ten years it has moved down 49 places. More babies were named Lee in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning meadow, clearing (English surname) · Old English
Say it LEE /li/
- Rank in 2025
- #727 boys, up 42 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 366boys
- Girls and boys
- 6% girls, 94% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19513,682 babies
- Total since 1880
- 295,926babies recorded
What does the name Lee mean?
Lee is an English surname from Old English lēa, a form of lēah, meadow or woodland clearing, for someone who lived by one, according to Wiktionary. As a first name it has been used for both boys and girls. Wiktionary also notes unrelated sources: common Chinese and Korean surnames romanized Lee, an Irish river name, and Lee as a nickname for names such as Leo or Leroy. Lee has been used in the US since 1880.
lēah (Old English, “meadow, woodland clearing”)
How sure is this? Probable. Several unrelated sources; the English surname is the usual source of the first name.
Related names: Leigh, Lea, Ley.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lee' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Lee popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,832 | #727 | 21 | 366 |
| 2020 | #4,705 | #769 | 28 | 313 |
| 2010 | #4,682 | #676 | 31 | 353 |
| 2000 | #2,322 | #469 | 67 | 502 |
| 1990 | #956 | #213 | 197 | 1,450 |
| 1980 | #364 | #125 | 652 | 2,209 |
| 1970 | #298 | #118 | 970 | 2,790 |
| 1960 | #218 | #116 | 1,531 | 3,430 |
| 1950 | #268 | #91 | 818 | 3,611 |
| 1940 | #283 | #80 | 492 | 2,624 |
| 1930 | #308 | #82 | 465 | 2,361 |
| 1920 | #281 | #82 | 543 | 2,321 |
| 1910 | #256 | #49 | 224 | 741 |
| 1900 | #278 | #39 | 138 | 675 |
| 1890 | #333 | #44 | 58 | 410 |
| 1880 | #300 | #43 | 28 | 361 |
How popular is Lee, counting every spelling?
Lee is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #712 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #727 for Lee on its own. Together these spellings went to 366 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee | 366 | #727 | 1,870 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lee?
366 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lee (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lee born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lee.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lee?
About 120,900 people born in the US named Lee are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 43 and 70. That makes Lee a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lee by state
How common Lee was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Iowa (3.8×), Kansas (2.1×), Pennsylvania (2.0×), Mississippi (1.9×), Indiana (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Massachusetts, Nevada, Maryland.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lee: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lee, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lee · Sibling names for Lee
Lee is also a nickname for Leland and Leroy.
Questions about the name Lee
What does Lee mean?
Lee means “meadow, clearing (English surname)” (Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lee?
Lee was the 727th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 366 babies. Its best year was 1900, when it ranked 39th; the most babies were born in 1951 (3,682). Over the last ten years it has moved down 49 places. More babies were named Lee in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Lee a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 6% girls, 94% boys given the name Lee in the US.
Where is Lee most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lee was most common in Iowa (0.81 per 1,000 boys), followed by Kansas and Pennsylvania.