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Lessie

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Lessie

Pronounced LES-ee /ˈlɛs.i/High

Meaning: Lessie is a pet form tied to Leslie, a Scottish surname and place name usually explained as 'garden of hollies' or 'the grey fortress', from Gaelic elements. As a boys' name here it likely trims Leslie or stands as an affectionate diminutive.Low

In 30 seconds: Lessie is a soft short form linked to Leslie, the Scottish 'holly garden' name. Recorded here for boys, it was a gentle, rare choice of the early twentieth century.

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Origin LowScottish

MeaningLessie is a pet form tied to Leslie, a Scottish surname and place name usually explained as 'garden of hollies' or 'the grey fortress', from Gaelic elements. As a boys' name here it likely trims Leslie or stands as an affectionate diminutive.

U.S. rank (1986)#7383 ↘ Falling

1986 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1925

Total births (all-time)≈ 945

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Lessie is best understood as a diminutive connected to Leslie, a Scottish place and surname commonly read as 'the grey fortress' or 'garden of hollies'. Leslie crossed into given-name use for boys first, and short forms like Lessie followed the same path.

Always scarce, Lessie appeared only a few dozen times a year and reached its faint high point around 1925 before slipping away by the 1980s. It reads as a tender, old-fashioned nickname-name of the Edwardian generation, and it has not been revived.

Did you know? Leslie began firmly as a boys' name before shifting toward girls in the twentieth century, and diminutives like Lessie sit right on that historical fault line.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Lessie / Leslie — Scottish Leslie 'holly garden / grey fortress'; diminutive

Variations

LeslieLesleyLesLessy

Nicknames

LesLessy

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Lessie…

Leslie— the fuller Scottish name this short form derives from

Lester— a period surname-name with the same soft -es sound

Wesley— shares the gentle two-beat vintage feel

Jesse— a comparable soft-ending old-fashioned boys' name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Lessie mean?

Lessie is a short form of Leslie, a Scottish name meaning 'garden of hollies' or 'grey fortress'.

How do you pronounce Lessie?

It's said LES-ee /ˈlɛs.i/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Lessie a boy or girl name?

In these records Lessie is used as a boy's name, though the sound also suited girls.

How popular is Lessie?

Lessie has always been rare, a gentle diminutive that never moved beyond the margins.