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

Popularity: The name Lesli ranked 1992nd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

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.