Lee
Boy · LEE · English
Lee is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “clearing, meadow”. In 2025 it ranked 1,080th for boys in the UK (30 babies) and 725th for boys in the US (366 babies).
What does Lee mean?
English: English surname, from Old English leah
“clearing, meadow”
From an English surname for someone who lived by a woodland clearing or meadow, from Old English leah.
- Say it
- LEE
More on Wiktionary.
Is Lee a girl's or a boy's name?
Lee is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 30 boys in the UK and 21 girls and 366 boys in the US.
How popular is Lee in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,080among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 30about 1 in 10,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 51% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 30 boys in the UK were named Lee, making it the 1,080th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 760th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 1,293 boys.
Half of all the boys named Lee in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2006. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,093rd in England and Wales and 762nd in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1964 (#50), 1974 (#12), 1984 (#15) and 1994 (#55).
Lee in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #1,080 |
| 2024 | 25 | #1,198 |
| 2023 | 32 | #1,028 |
| 2022 | 34 | #971 |
| 2021 | 44 | #818 |
| 2020 | 47 | #760 |
| 2019 | 62 | #644 |
| 2018 | 70 | #588 |
| 2017 | 66 | #624 |
| 2016 | 81 | #544 |
| 2015 | 99 | #459 |
| 2014 | 126 | #375 |
| 2013 | 145 | #332 |
| 2012 | 171 | #302 |
| 2011 | 200 | #267 |
| 2010 | 250 | #227 |
| 2009 | 280 | #204 |
| 2008 | 362 | #168 |
| 2007 | 393 | #155 |
| 2006 | 417 | #144 |
| 2005 | 454 | #136 |
| 2004 | 556 | #115 |
| 2003 | 564 | #108 |
| 2002 | 615 | #98 |
| 2001 | 638 | #97 |
| 2000 | 754 | #80 |
| 1999 | 787 | #81 |
| 1998 | 1,043 | #70 |
| 1997 | 1,152 | #68 |
| 1996 | 1,293 | #59 |
How popular is Lee in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #725among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 366about 1 in 4,700 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 16% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 366 boys in the US were named Lee, making it the 725th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 768th. Its busiest year was 1951, with 3,682 boys. 21 girls were also named Lee in 2025 (5,721st for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Lee than any year since 2020.
Half of all the boys named Lee in the US since 1880 were born between 1932 and 1970, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 5% of the babies named Lee in the US were girls.
Lee in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 366 | #725 |
| 2024 | 370 | #716 |
| 2023 | 377 | #705 |
| 2022 | 379 | #698 |
| 2021 | 378 | #700 |
| 2020 | 313 | #768 |
| 2019 | 297 | #783 |
| 2018 | 352 | #689 |
| 2017 | 369 | #681 |
| 2016 | 390 | #664 |
| 2015 | 375 | #677 |
| 2014 | 350 | #703 |
| 2013 | 361 | #668 |
| 2012 | 357 | #662 |
| 2011 | 353 | #669 |
| 2010 | 353 | #676 |
| 2009 | 374 | #658 |
| 2008 | 361 | #670 |
| 2007 | 382 | #635 |
| 2006 | 391 | #610 |
| 2005 | 384 | #589 |
| 2004 | 412 | #557 |
| 2003 | 403 | #556 |
| 2002 | 439 | #516 |
| 2001 | 513 | #464 |
| 2000 | 502 | #469 |
| 1999 | 510 | #449 |
| 1998 | 607 | #403 |
| 1997 | 615 | #388 |
| 1996 | 721 | #343 |
| 1995 | 774 | #330 |
| 1994 | 917 | #297 |
| 1993 | 989 | #284 |
| 1992 | 1,128 | #255 |
| 1991 | 1,300 | #229 |
| 1990 | 1,450 | #213 |
| 1989 | 1,545 | #188 |
| 1988 | 1,785 | #156 |
| 1987 | 1,811 | #154 |
| 1986 | 1,932 | #145 |
| 1985 | 2,005 | #142 |
| 1984 | 2,164 | #124 |
| 1983 | 1,917 | #138 |
| 1982 | 2,205 | #123 |
| 1981 | 2,215 | #123 |
| 1980 | 2,209 | #125 |
| 1979 | 2,078 | #129 |
| 1978 | 1,980 | #133 |
| 1977 | 2,014 | #133 |
| 1976 | 1,873 | #138 |
| 1975 | 1,858 | #137 |
| 1974 | 2,115 | #124 |
| 1973 | 2,106 | #123 |
| 1972 | 2,260 | #125 |
| 1971 | 2,472 | #128 |
| 1970 | 2,790 | #118 |
| 1969 | 2,762 | #118 |
| 1968 | 2,868 | #106 |
| 1967 | 2,960 | #103 |
| 1966 | 2,965 | #106 |
| 1965 | 2,772 | #116 |
| 1964 | 3,037 | #117 |
| 1963 | 3,016 | #119 |
| 1962 | 3,263 | #115 |
| 1961 | 3,127 | #122 |
| 1960 | 3,430 | #116 |
| 1959 | 3,509 | #115 |
| 1958 | 3,514 | #114 |
| 1957 | 3,588 | #105 |
| 1956 | 3,511 | #104 |
| 1955 | 3,607 | #96 |
| 1954 | 3,566 | #96 |
| 1953 | 3,583 | #93 |
| 1952 | 3,655 | #92 |
| 1951 | 3,682 | #92 |
| 1950 | 3,611 | #91 |
| 1949 | 3,562 | #93 |
| 1948 | 3,445 | #93 |
| 1947 | 3,676 | #92 |
| 1946 | 3,346 | #91 |
| 1945 | 2,942 | #87 |
| 1944 | 2,929 | #85 |
| 1943 | 2,789 | #91 |
| 1942 | 2,923 | #87 |
| 1941 | 2,742 | #81 |
| 1940 | 2,624 | #80 |
| 1939 | 2,589 | #78 |
| 1938 | 2,575 | #80 |
| 1937 | 2,499 | #78 |
| 1936 | 2,418 | #76 |
| 1935 | 2,426 | #80 |
| 1934 | 2,378 | #79 |
| 1933 | 2,301 | #79 |
| 1932 | 2,284 | #85 |
| 1931 | 2,123 | #90 |
| 1930 | 2,361 | #82 |
| 1929 | 2,209 | #85 |
| 1928 | 2,282 | #87 |
| 1927 | 2,390 | #86 |
| 1926 | 2,313 | #85 |
| 1925 | 2,537 | #82 |
| 1924 | 2,420 | #83 |
| 1923 | 2,359 | #85 |
| 1922 | 2,371 | #83 |
| 1921 | 2,354 | #86 |
| 1920 | 2,321 | #82 |
| 1919 | 2,189 | #82 |
| 1918 | 2,159 | #86 |
| 1917 | 2,004 | #85 |
| 1916 | 2,016 | #83 |
| 1915 | 1,916 | #84 |
| 1914 | 1,451 | #84 |
| 1913 | 1,228 | #78 |
| 1912 | 1,030 | #78 |
| 1911 | 646 | #67 |
| 1910 | 741 | #49 |
| 1909 | 584 | #52 |
| 1908 | 553 | #51 |
| 1907 | 516 | #54 |
| 1906 | 436 | #57 |
| 1905 | 486 | #49 |
| 1904 | 532 | #45 |
| 1903 | 477 | #45 |
| 1902 | 475 | #46 |
| 1901 | 424 | #45 |
| 1900 | 675 | #39 |
| 1899 | 388 | #50 |
| 1898 | 498 | #46 |
| 1897 | 453 | #47 |
| 1896 | 455 | #48 |
| 1895 | 478 | #47 |
| 1894 | 455 | #45 |
| 1893 | 445 | #46 |
| 1892 | 460 | #46 |
| 1891 | 342 | #52 |
| 1890 | 410 | #43 |
| 1889 | 415 | #46 |
| 1888 | 430 | #48 |
| 1887 | 400 | #44 |
| 1886 | 399 | #47 |
| 1885 | 348 | #50 |
| 1884 | 435 | #43 |
| 1883 | 388 | #43 |
| 1882 | 427 | #41 |
| 1881 | 342 | #44 |
| 1880 | 361 | #43 |
Names like Lee
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
James George John Charles Lewis William Thomas Leon Robert Jack Joseph Harry
Names related to Lee
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