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Lei as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Lei

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The baby name Lei is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'Mandarin': 'léi — pronounced like "lay" with a rising (second) tone', 'Cantonese': 'leoi4 (Jyutping) — approximated as "lui"/"loy" (regional variation)', 'Hawaiian': 'lei — pronounced "lay"'}.

Lei is Chinese, Hawaiian, Vietnamese in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Chinese, Hawaiian, Vietnamese
Pronunciation: {'Mandarin': 'léi — pronounced like "lay" with a rising (second) tone', 'Cantonese': 'leoi4 (Jyutping) — approximated as "lui"/"loy" (regional variation)', 'Hawaiian': 'lei — pronounced "lay"'}

What is the meaning of the name Lei ?

The baby name Lei is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'Mandarin': 'léi — pronounced like "lay" with a rising (second) tone', 'Cantonese': 'leoi4 (Jyutping) — approximated as "lui"/"loy" (regional variation)', 'Hawaiian': 'lei — pronounced "lay"'}.

Lei is Chinese, Hawaiian, Vietnamese in Origin.

Lei is a multicultural given name with two major roots. In Chinese, its meaning depends on the character and tone: Léi (雷) “thunder,” Lěi (磊) “heaps of stone” (connoting uprightness and openness), and Lěi (蕾) “flower bud.” A rarer form, 嫘, recalls the sericulture heroine Leizu. Lei is also an ancient Chinese surname (雷). In Hawaiian, lei means “garland” or “wreath,” a symbol of affection, honor, and welcome; it is used as a standalone given name and in compounds like Leilani or Leimomi.

As a given name in China, Lei has been used across eras and is common in modern times for all genders - 磊 often masculine, 蕾 often feminine - with affectionate doubling as Leilei. Romanized variants reflect tone marks (Léi, Lěi) and dialects; as a surname, Cantonese often renders 雷 as Lui. In English contexts, Lei is typically pronounced “lay.”

Lei has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Lei

Yang Lei Actor · Born 1984 · People's Republic of China Yang Lei, also known as Shinee Lee, is a Chinese pop singer and actress best known for winning the nationwide singing contest Super Girl in 2006. Born in Chongqing in 1984, she rose to fame almost overnight through the show.

Lei – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
MO 0 #10 43 2,706
BW 0 #19 1 960
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
MO Boys 0 #37 337 5,842
CN Boys 0 #44 588 9,639
GE 0 #44 1 997
MO Girls 0 #45 313 7,056
CN 0 #49 37 3,857
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
PH 0 #70 27 5,607
AZ Girls 0 #75 1 1,051
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
TW 0 #97 7 4,523
QA 0 #101 6 7,011
BN Girls 0 #111 4 5,459
KW 0 #117 5 5,216
OM 0 #118 4 6,215
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
AE 0 #167 11 10,220
HU Boys 0 #170 5 3,954
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
CN Girls 0 #188 194 8,829
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
AR 0 #190 4 2,915
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
LU Boys 0 #217 4 4,970
AL Girls 0 #225 3 4,141
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
IR 0 #229 3 4,221
PH Girls 0 #230 168 13,098
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
TW Boys 0 #231 11 7,111
JP Girls 0 #234 12 6,592
SG 0 #240 30 11,010
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
AO Boys 0 #246 4 5,568
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
TW Girls 0 #253 24 8,139
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
QA Girls 0 #274 43 15,378
JP Boys 0 #279 19 7,909
SA 0 #281 15 10,560
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
AL Boys 0 #300 4 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
MY 0 #315 16 12,352
DK Girls 0 #325 5 7,429
HK 0 #326 23 8,483
PE 0 #326 4 6,350
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
PH Boys 0 #340 44 11,440
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
SD Girls 0 #356 3 7,678
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
SG Girls 0 #361 233 18,916
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
SG Boys 0 #370 382 17,960
PT Boys 0 #377 5 7,951
NL 0 #380 12 2,481
OM Girls 0 #381 16 15,987
HK Boys 0 #385 147 12,905
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
Finland Boys 0 #418 10 2,041
France Girls 2010 #422 3 3,152
HK Girls 0 #424 195 16,104
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
Spain 0 #440 13 2,326
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
SD Boys 0 #463 4 10,523
PT Girls 0 #466 6 7,952
CO 0 #470 11 7,768
AE Girls 0 #477 77 20,968
KW Girls 0 #478 38 19,177
AR Boys 0 #480 4 7,628
IR Girls 0 #488 43 8,334
RU Girls 0 #488 11 11,913
RU Boys 0 #494 12 12,621
PA Boys 0 #503 3 9,305
CR Boys 0 #505 6 10,188
PA Girls 0 #515 4 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #521 5 11,303
CR Girls 0 #522 11 11,342
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
BH 0 #537 17 17,937
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
PS Girls 0 #544 4 10,981
PS Boys 0 #554 8 10,655
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
AR Girls 0 #568 32 8,289
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
BO Boys 0 #618 5 9,244
IL Boys 0 #622 4 10,983
IL Girls 0 #640 6 11,648
BO Girls 0 #645 7 9,488
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
IQ Boys 0 #658 10 13,071
Finland Boys 2026 #673 10 3,552
LB 0 #689 2 13,263
QA Boys 0 #689 19 18,093
CL Boys 0 #693 8 13,390
IT 0 #700 15 4,183
TN 0 #711 119 13,765
BR Boys 0 #717 35 12,213
Finland Girls 2026 #722 17 3,895
NL Boys 0 #737 216 5,873
KW Boys 0 #760 10 18,755
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
Germany Girls 0 #800 39 4,949
NG Girls 0 #824 3 15,093
SA Girls 0 #849 87 25,931
EG Boys 0 #861 26 15,035
MY Girls 0 #865 130 24,821
PE Boys 0 #868 11 14,506
United States Boys 2015 #880 6 7,337
Spain Boys 0 #884 47 5,610
Spain Girls 0 #895 89 5,561
Germany Boys 0 #902 51 5,697
CO Boys 0 #904 17 15,656
NL Girls 0 #909 47 5,933
United States Girls 2024 #912 5 8,487
OM Boys 0 #912 7 17,948
CL Girls 0 #913 3 14,098
PE Girls 0 #922 22 14,861
BR Girls 0 #929 13 12,708
EG Girls 0 #948 12 14,742
MA 0 #964 165 20,986
DZ 0 #989 188 20,130
NG Boys 0 #994 8 16,906
MY Boys 0 #1,003 109 25,439
CO Girls 0 #1,011 68 16,140
MX Boys 0 #1,025 9 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,035 5 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,049 44 22,615
ZA Girls 0 #1,132 10 25,928
MX Girls 0 #1,160 24 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,165 14 25,619
TR 0 #1,199 13 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,270 177 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,283 189 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,537 78 28,008

Lei is popular in 77 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
AE
AL
AO
AR

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Lei

Lei is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Lei is a one syllable name, pronounced {'Mandarin': 'léi — pronounced like "lay" with a rising (second) tone', 'Cantonese': 'leoi4 (Jyutping) — approximated as "lui"/"loy" (regional variation)', 'Hawaiian': 'lei — pronounced "lay"'}.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include 雷 (Chinese character, 'thunder'), 蕾 (Chinese character, 'bud/flower bud'), 磊 (Chinese character and pronounced Lěi.
Across languages, Lei has these equivalents: Thor (Norse; name associated with thunder), Leilani (Hawaiian; contains "lei", related floral imagery), Blossom / Flora (English names conveying 'flower' or 'bloom').
Yes — Lei ranked #422 in France in 2010, and appears in official birth registries across 3 countries.
Lei ranks highest in France (#422 in 2010).
Yes — 1 notable people named Lei are in our database, including Yang Lei (Actor).