Lesley
Girl name · #4555 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Lesley? In official American birth records, Lesley has been tracked continuously since 1893, giving it 132 years of documented American history.
Lesley is currently the #4555 girl name in the United States — 30 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2039, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 60,000 girls born in 2025 was named Lesley.
The 132-year story
Lesley first appears in the Social Security records in 1893, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1980, when 928 girls were named Lesley — good for #269 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Lesley per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lesley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lesley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lesley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lesley will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lesley is most common
State-level data for Lesley is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Lesley
Statistically, parents drawn to Lesley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Holley, Starla, Imelda, Stacey, and Kristy.
HolleyStarlaImeldaStaceyKristyDarciLeeannHalley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lesley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #4546 |
| 2024 | 36 | #4039 |
| 2023 | 29 | #4655 |
| 2022 | 51 | #3171 |
| 2021 | 40 | #3735 |
| 2020 | 51 | #3091 |
| 2019 | 51 | #3130 |
| 2018 | 62 | #2744 |
| 2017 | 52 | #3091 |
| 2016 | 76 | #2426 |
| 2015 | 96 | #2039 |
| 2014 | 113 | #1804 |
| 2013 | 120 | #1725 |
| 2012 | 131 | #1639 |
| 2011 | 175 | #1329 |
| 2010 | 219 | #1122 |
| 2009 | 223 | #1132 |
| 2008 | 254 | #1030 |
| 2007 | 353 | #813 |
| 2006 | 371 | #743 |
| 2005 | 382 | #715 |
| 2004 | 451 | #610 |
| 2003 | 452 | #603 |
| 2002 | 471 | #563 |
| 2001 | 509 | #523 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Lesley?
In official American birth records, the name Lesley first appeared in 1893 (over 132 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Lesley a popular girl name?
Lesley ranked #4555 among girls in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2039.
When was the name Lesley most popular?
Lesley peaked in 1980, when 928 American girls received the name (ranked #269 that year). Since 1980 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lesley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American girls was named Lesley. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.