Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2001

Lesli

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #8,138
Rank 2025
#8,138
among girls · ↓2,417 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
13
named Lesli · -41% vs 2024
How common
1 in 123,636
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2001
166 babies
All-time total
5,799
#2,329 all-time among girls
First recorded
1946
in Social Security records

Lesli popularity over time

5,799 babies have been named Lesli since 1946, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2001Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s 50 5 – #2,470
1950s 480 48 +860% #1,126
1960s 1,190 119 +148% #839
1970s 997 100 -16% #1,022
1980s 623 62 -38% #1,409
1990s 640 64 +3% #1,496
2000s 1,420 142 +122% #1,222
2010s 305 31 -79% #2,469
2020s (to 2025) 94 16 -49% #5,721

The story of Lesli

Lesli is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #8,138 in 2025 with 13 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1946, 5,799 American babies have been named Lesli. Its peak came in 2001, when 166 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Lesli stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Lesli?

The median living Lesli is about 42 years old; half are between 23 and 57. An estimated 5,500 people named Lesli are alive in the United States today.

median 42 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Lesli year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 13 #8,138
2024 22 #5,721
2023 15 #7,488
2022 10 #10,106
2021 17 #6,866
2020 17 #6,803
2019 13 #8,409
2018 11 #9,539
2017 16 #7,279
2016 10 #10,532
2015 25 #5,395
2014 26 #5,243
2013 23 #5,754
2012 41 #3,829
2011 64 #2,751
2010 76 #2,469
2009 90 #2,198
2008 137 #1,648
2007 135 #1,652
2006 162 #1,401
2005 152 #1,409
2004 151 #1,384
2003 135 #1,457
2002 147 #1,327
2001 166 #1,222
2000 145 #1,316
1995 58 #2,298
1990 50 #2,452
1985 54 #2,008
1980 86 #1,429
1975 112 #1,058
1970 110 #1,086
1965 126 #895
1960 79 #1,231
1955 36 #1,757
1950 20 #2,219
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Lesli

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Lesli Linka Glatter Lesli Linka Glatter American film and television director b. 1953 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Lesli, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Lesli?

The median living Lesli is about 42 years old. Half of all living Leslis are between 23 and 57 years old.

How many people named Lesli are alive today?

An estimated 5,500 people named Lesli are alive in the United States, based on 5,799 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Lesli in 2025?

Lesli ranked #8,138 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 13 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Lesli?

5,799 babies have been named Lesli in the United States since 1946, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lesli most popular?

Lesli peaked in 2001, when 166 newborns received the name.

Is Lesli a boy or girl name?

Lesli is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Lesli rising or falling?

Lesli is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Lesli?

Well-known people named Lesli include Lesli Linka Glatter (film director).

Names like Lesli

Names that sound and feel close to Lesli: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Lesli with similar names → More names starting with L →