Lesley
/ˈlɛzli/noun
A given name and surname, usually regarded as a variant spelling of Leslie.
Did you know?Lesley developed from the Scottish surname Leslie, whose original place-name has often been interpreted as Gaelic for “garden or enclosure of holly,” though scholars consider that explanation uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Scotland
Scots Gaelic?
Lesslyn
“An early place-name form associated with the lands and barony later called Leslie; its precise elements are disputed.”
12th Century
Latin
de Leslyn
“A locational surname meaning “of Leslie,” recorded in medieval Scottish documents.”
13th–15th Centuries
Scots
Lesly / Leslie
“A Scottish surname derived from the place-name Leslie.”
19th Century
English
Leslie
“A surname increasingly used as a given name in English-speaking countries.”
Modern English
English
Lesley
“A spelling variant of Leslie, used as both a feminine and masculine given name and as a surname.”