Lesli as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Lesli

What is the meaning of the name Lesli ?

The baby name Lesli is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced LEZ-lee (IPA: /ˈlɛzli/).

Lesli is Scottish in Origin.

Lesli is a streamlined spelling of Leslie, a given name deriving from a Scottish surname tied to the Aberdeenshire place of Leslie. The place-name is often explained as “holly garden” from Gaelic elements (lios “garden/enclosure” + cuileann “holly”), though scholars note the exact formation is uncertain. As a surname-turned-first name, Leslie/Lesley appears in records from early modern Scotland and spread through the British Isles and North America, historically masculine in Scotland but broadly unisex, with feminine use surging in the mid-20th century.

Variants include Leslie (standard), Lesley (especially feminine in Britain), Leslee, Lesly, and Lesli itself; pet forms are Les and Lessie. The concise Lesli spelling has seen intermittent U.S. usage since the late 20th century, valued for its modern look while preserving the usual pronunciation “LEHZ-lee.” The name carries nature imagery via the holly association and a quietly aristocratic Scottish-clan heritage.