Lee
An English place name and surname, Old English leah, “clearing, meadow”; also the Chinese surname Li.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Lee appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 1955. Its biggest year was 1951, when 3,682 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 92 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1900, at No. 39. In 2025 it ranked No. 725 for boys. The name has also seen real use for girls: 62,299 of the 295,926 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Leigh (45,349), Lew (2,208), Lewie (870), Lei (683) (total births since 1880)
Explore Lee interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,945 | No. 41 |
| 1890s | 4,384 | No. 43 |
| 1900s | 5,158 | No. 39 |
| 1910s | 15,380 | No. 49 |
| 1920s | 23,556 | No. 82 |
| 1930s | 23,954 | No. 76 |
| 1940s | 30,978 | No. 80 |
| 1950s | 35,826 | No. 91 |
| 1960s | 30,200 | No. 103 |
| 1970s | 21,546 | No. 118 |
| 1980s | 19,788 | No. 123 |
| 1990s | 9,011 | No. 213 |
| 2000s | 4,161 | No. 464 |
| 2010s | 3,557 | No. 662 |
| 2020s | 2,183 | No. 698 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.