Meaning: Its source is leas cuillinn, a Gaelic name meaning "Holly garden."

Nickname For: Leslie

Popularity: The name Lesa ranked 994th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.

Narrative: This was the surname of a Scottish noble family closely associated with the royal house of Stewart.

It was popularized as a first name by Hungarian-born English actor Leslie Howard (1890-1943). As Ashley Wilkes in the 1939 film version of Gone With the Wind, Howard succeeded in popularizing both his personal name and his character's name.

In recent years both Ashley and Leslie, though still used for boys, have been more commonly given to girls.