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Paralee

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Paralee

Pronounced PAIR-uh-lee /ˈpɛr.ə.li/Medium

Meaning: Paralee is a nineteenth-century Southern-American girl's name of uncertain origin, most plausibly an elaboration of Pearl or the pet form Perlie, possibly reshaped by the sounds of names like Amaralee or Coralee. No fixed classical root is documented, so its meaning is best given as uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: Paralee is a vintage Southern girl's name, most likely spun from Pearl/Perlie, said 'PAIR-uh-lee'.

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningParalee is a nineteenth-century Southern-American girl's name of uncertain origin, most plausibly an elaboration of Pearl or the pet form Perlie, possibly reshaped by the sounds of names like Amaralee or Coralee. No fixed classical root is documented, so its meaning is best given as uncertain.

U.S. rank (2018)#17533 ↘ Falling

2018 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1920

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,215

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

Paralee is one of the melodic, home-grown girls' names that dotted Southern birth records around the turn of the twentieth century. The likeliest reading links it to Pearl or the diminutive Perlie, perhaps blended with the -alee ending of names like Coralee, so it carries a soft, folk-poetic ring rather than a documented meaning.

It was already a distinctly rural, old-time name by the early nineteen-hundreds, peaking around 1920 and fading steadily thereafter, with only scattered later use. Anyone named Paralee belongs to a great-grandmother's generation, and the name has not joined the recent vintage revival.

Did you know? Paralee is a genuine antique of the rural South, scarce even at its 1920 crest, when only a few dozen girls a year received it.

Overall data confidence 40%

References - Paralee — vintage Southern name; likely Pearl/Perlie elaboration

Variations

ParleePerlieCoralee

Nicknames

ParaLee

Famous Bearers

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If you like Paralee…

Coralee— a like melodic -alee Southern name

Pearl— the probable root gem name

Ophelia— a comparable soft, old-fashioned girl's name

Loralee— shares the -ee ending

Donnalee— another vintage pick

Explore names like Paralee

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Paralee mean?

Paralee is a vintage Southern-American name, most likely an elaboration of Pearl or Perlie; its exact meaning is uncertain.

How do you pronounce Paralee?

It's said PAIR-uh-lee /ˈpɛr.ə.li/ - three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Paralee a boy or girl name?

Paralee is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Paralee?

Paralee is a genuine early-twentieth-century antique, cresting in the early nineteen-twenties and rare since.