Lee
- Pronunciation
- [Lee]
- Gender
- Female
- Meaning
- Unisexual Name Meaning "Plum"
- Origin
- Chinese
Lee Popularity Snapshot
Across the entire US Social Security Administration record (1880–2024), 62,278 baby girls have been named Lee. The name peaked in 1956 with 1,937 US births that year (rank #184). In 2024, ranked #5214 nationally — 5,030 places below its 1956 peak.
Top States for Lee
Based on 1910–2024 US SSA state-level records, the three states with the most Lee births are: New York (4,593), Texas (4,199), California (3,609).
Other Chinese-Origin Names Like Lee
If you like Lee's Chinese origin, consider these related names: An, Bing Qing, Bo, Chan Juan, Chang. Browse all Chinese names →
3-Letter Names Starting with L
Names with Lee's exact length and starting letter: Lad, Lai, Lam, Lan, Lap.
Quick Facts About Lee
US Popularity History (1880–2025)
Annual US births named Lee by gender, from US Social Security Administration records. Peak year: 1951 with 3,682 boys named Lee (boy rank #92 that year).
Where it stands today: in 2025, ranked #727 for boys (366 US births). That's 635 places below its 1951 peak.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Limitations: US birth-certificate data only; names appearing fewer than 5 times in a given year are suppressed for privacy; spelling variants are counted separately. For names that ranked outside the US top 100 before year 2000, only the years they reached the top 100 are shown — the chart may have gaps for less-popular historical names.
Paste the snippet below on any HTML page. Includes a credit link back to 9BabyNames — please keep it intact.
Where in the US Is Lee Most Popular?
Average boy-name rank within each state across 2016–2025 SSA records. A lower number means the name appears closer to the top of that state's boys-name rankings — a per-capita measure that isn't biased toward large states. For Lee the strongest states are Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas.
Strongest boys-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | #410 | 55 |
| 2 | Nebraska | #466 | 21 |
| 3 | Arkansas | #477 | 35 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | #484 | 189 |
| 5 | Mississippi | #516 | 38 |
| 6 | Kansas | #542 | 31 |
| 7 | Indiana | #579 | 105 |
| 8 | Virginia | #595 | 95 |
| 9 | Louisiana | #603 | 69 |
| 10 | Tennessee | #614 | 89 |
Weakest boys-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | #971 | 30 |
| 2 | California | #921 | 206 |
| 3 | New York | #852 | 64 |
| 4 | Florida | #827 | 154 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | #785 | 15 |
| 6 | Georgia | #768 | 111 |
| 7 | Texas | #723 | 334 |
| 8 | Arizona | #719 | 40 |
| 9 | North Carolina | #708 | 102 |
| 10 | Maryland | #704 | 35 |
Source: SSA state-level baby-name dataset 2016–2025. States with fewer than 3 years of data for Lee in this window are excluded. Births < 5 in a given state-year are suppressed by SSA for privacy.
Variant Forms
Famous People Named Lee
5 notable figures from history and culture who share the name Lee.
- Lee Grant is a stage, television and film actress.
- Lee Harvey Oswald is the accused assassin of the 35th US President John F.
- Lee Iacocca is a businessman famous for reviving the Chrysler Corporation from near bankruptcy.
- Lee Kuan Yew — Politician (1923)
- Lee Trevino is one of the most successful American professional golfers.
Looking for names like Lee?
A dedicated page with 60+ related names — spelling variants, rhymes, alliterations, same-origin matches, and shared meaning concepts — lives at its own URL so each kind of similarity gets a deeper treatment than fits here.
Compare Lee to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Lee against today's most popular boys-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).
Lee Baby Name Ideas
- Should Sibling Names Be Similar in Popularity? Building a Set Without Ranking the Children
- Amelia or Emilia? How to Hear the Different Openings, Initials, and Full-Name Rhythm
- Best Middle Names for Layla: Shape the L Rhythm, Open Ending, and Full-Name Flow
- Maya or Mia? How to Choose Between Two Short Names That Sound Closer Than They Look
- When a Nickname Starts With a Different Letter From the Legal Name: Plan for Initials, Forms, and Daily Use
- Baby Names for Last Names Starting With L: Keep the Repeated L Clear Without Losing Flow
- Best Middle Names for Ella: Build Space After the Double L and Open-A Ending
- Can You Use a Different-Gender Name as an Honor Name? Building a Recognizable Family Connection
- Baby Names for Last Names Starting With T: Keep the T Seam Clear Without Overcorrecting
- Do You Need a One-Syllable Middle Name? When a Short Anchor Helps—and When It Flattens the Full Name
- Best Middle Names for Zoe: Give a Two-Syllable First Name a Clean Landing
- Baby Names for Last Names With an Apostrophe: Keep the Full Name Clear on Forms and Aloud
- How to Honor a Relative Who Was Known by a Nickname, Middle Name, or Chosen Name
- When the Nickname Rhymes With the Last Name: Test the Call Form, Not Just the Legal Name
- Pride and Prejudice Baby Names: From the Bennet Sisters to Quiet Regency References
- Baby Names for Last Names Starting With S: Control the Hiss, Seam, and Rhythm
- Can Initials Count as an Honor Name? Building a Clear Indirect Namesake
- Best Middle Names for Sofia: Open Vowels, Clear Seams, and Full-Name Balance
- The Best Middle Names for Dylan: Pairings That Balance a Compact Two-Syllable Name
- When Parents Disagree About Gender-Neutral and Gender-Specific Baby Names: Finding the Preference Under the Label