Arlee as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Arlee

What is the meaning of the name Arlee ?

The baby name Arlee is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced AR-lee (/ˈɑrli/).

Arlee is English in Origin.

Arlee is a modern American spelling of Arlie/Arley, a given name taken from several English place-names in -ley, from Old English leah ‘wood, meadow, clearing’. Depending on the locality, the first element is read as hara ‘hare’ or earn ‘eagle’, yielding meanings such as ‘hare meadow’ or ‘eagle clearing’. The -lee ending also aligns with contemporary American name-building patterns, so Arlee can function as a creative blend or a streamlined alternative to longer Arl- names (e.g., Arlene).

Used as a forename in the United States since the late 19th century, Arlee has seen intermittent use for both sexes; the -ee spelling skews more feminine in recent decades while Arlie/Arley remain fully unisex. Variants and related forms include Arlie, Arley, Arleigh, Arly, and Arlene; short forms Ari and Lee are common. Overall meaning centers on a natural clearing or meadow, sometimes with the imagery of a hare or an eagle.