Lee
From Old English lēa, the dative case of lēah (“meadow”), originally to denote someone who lived near a meadow.
Every Lee since 1880 — 295,926 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Lee
Lee is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #727 in 2025 with 366 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 295,926 American babies have been named Lee — about 79% boys and 21% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1956, when 5,448 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Lee stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Lee year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21 | #5,832 | 366 | #727 |
| 2024 | 25 | #5,230 | 370 | #716 |
| 2023 | 24 | #5,325 | 377 | #705 |
| 2022 | 26 | #5,105 | 379 | #698 |
| 2021 | 15 | #7,495 | 378 | #700 |
| 2020 | 28 | #4,705 | 313 | #769 |
| 2019 | 20 | #6,094 | 297 | #783 |
| 2018 | 26 | #5,090 | 352 | #690 |
| 2017 | 21 | #5,949 | 369 | #681 |
| 2016 | 33 | #4,398 | 390 | #664 |
| 2015 | 24 | #5,585 | 375 | #678 |
| 2014 | 23 | #5,727 | 350 | #703 |
| 2013 | 29 | #4,833 | 361 | #668 |
| 2012 | 22 | #6,025 | 357 | #663 |
| 2011 | 20 | #6,467 | 353 | #670 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4,682 | 353 | #676 |
| 2009 | 29 | #5,026 | 374 | #658 |
| 2008 | 17 | #7,598 | 361 | #671 |
| 2007 | 22 | #6,217 | 382 | #638 |
| 2006 | 29 | #4,898 | 391 | #610 |
| 2005 | 22 | #5,702 | 384 | #590 |
| 2004 | 43 | #3,469 | 412 | #557 |
| 2003 | 43 | #3,396 | 403 | #557 |
| 2002 | 42 | #3,310 | 439 | #517 |
| 2001 | 56 | #2,681 | 513 | #464 |
| 2000 | 67 | #2,322 | 502 | #469 |
| 1995 | 102 | #1,527 | 774 | #330 |
| 1990 | 197 | #956 | 1,450 | #213 |
| 1985 | 310 | #610 | 2,005 | #142 |
| 1980 | 652 | #364 | 2,209 | #125 |
| 1975 | 585 | #360 | 1,858 | #137 |
| 1970 | 970 | #298 | 2,790 | #118 |
| 1965 | 1,300 | #237 | 2,772 | #117 |
| 1960 | 1,531 | #218 | 3,430 | #116 |
| 1955 | 1,816 | #183 | 3,607 | #96 |
| 1950 | 818 | #268 | 3,611 | #91 |
| 1945 | 687 | #257 | 2,942 | #87 |
| 1940 | 492 | #283 | 2,624 | #80 |
| 1935 | 474 | #280 | 2,426 | #80 |
| 1930 | 465 | #308 | 2,361 | #82 |
| 1925 | 531 | #292 | 2,537 | #82 |
| 1920 | 543 | #281 | 2,321 | #82 |
| 1915 | 445 | #279 | 1,916 | #84 |
| 1910 | 224 | #256 | 741 | #49 |
| 1905 | 165 | #253 | 486 | #49 |
| 1900 | 138 | #278 | 675 | #39 |
| 1895 | 98 | #283 | 478 | #47 |
| 1890 | 58 | #333 | 410 | #44 |
| 1885 | 46 | #295 | 348 | #50 |
| 1880 | 28 | #300 | 361 | #43 |
Famous people named Lee
- Lee Kuan Yew Politician · 1923–2015
- Lee Harvey Oswald Extremist · 1939–1963
- Lee Van Cleef Actor · 1925–1989
- Lee Myung-bak Politician · b. 1941
- Lee Teng-hui Politician · 1923–2020
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Lee mean?
From Old English lēa, the dative case of lēah (“meadow”), originally to denote someone who lived near a meadow.
How popular is the name Lee in 2025?
Lee ranked #727 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 366 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Lee?
295,926 babies have been named Lee in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Lee most popular?
Lee peaked in 1956, when 5,448 newborns received the name.
Is Lee a boy or girl name?
Lee is used for both: about 21% of babies named Lee have been girls and 79% boys.
Is the name Lee rising or falling?
Lee has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Lee?
Well-known people named Lee include Lee Kuan Yew (politician), Lee Harvey Oswald (extremist), Lee Van Cleef (actor).