Pronunciation | /ˈlɛsli/ LESS-lee or /ˈlɛzli/ LEZ-lee |
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Gender | Unisex (Male/Female) |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Scottish Gaelic, Hungarian, Slavic languages |
Derivation | from a placename |
Meaning | "Holly garden", "Glorious ruler" |
Region of origin | Scotland, Central and Eastern Europe |
Other names | |
Alternative spelling | Lesley (for females) |
Leslie is a surname and given name, derived from the name of Clan Leslie. The name may also be spelled Lesley. The name derives from a placename in Aberdeenshire, [1] perhaps an anglicisation of an originally Gaelic leas celyn "holly-garden". [2] Leslie is also frequently used as an anglicization of the male name Ladislaus, or its variant László. [3] [4] In this context, the name is derived from Slavic elements, with 'vladeti' meaning 'rule' and 'slava' meaning 'glory'. [5] In the United Kingdom, the name is spelled Leslie when given to boys, while for girls it is usually rendered as Lesley.[ citation needed ]
Notable people and characters with the name include:
Alistair is a male given name. It is an anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic Alasdair. The latter is most likely a Scottish Gaelic variant of the Norman French Alexandre or Latin Alexander, which was incorporated into English in the same form as Alexander. The deepest etymology is the Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (man-repeller): ἀλέξω (repel) + ἀνήρ (man), "the one who repels men", a warrior name. Another, not nearly so common, Anglicization of Alasdair is Allaster.
Black is a surname which can be of either English, Scottish, Irish or French origin. In the cases of non-English origin, the surname is likely to be an Anglicisation. Notable persons with that surname include:
Nicol is a given name and a surname.
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
Jamie is a unisex name. Traditionally a masculine name, it can be diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names and is of Scottish Gaelic origin. It is also given as a name in its own right. Since the mid-20th century it has been used as an occasional feminine name particularly in the United States.
Cooper is a surname.
Gavin is a Celtic male given name. It is the Scottish variation of the medieval Welsh name Gawain, meaning "God send" or "white hawk". Sir Gawain was a knight of King Arthur's Round Table. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an epic poem connected with King Arthur's Round Table. Gawain beheads the Green Knight who promptly replaces his head and threatens Gawain an identical fate the same time next year. Decapitation figures elsewhere: the Italian name Gavino is the name of an early Christian martyr who was beheaded in 300 AD, his head being thrown in the Mediterranean Sea only later reunited and interred with his body.
Gray is a surname of English and Scottish origins.
Paul is a common Latin masculine given name in countries and ethnicities with a Christian heritage and, beyond Europe, in Christian religious communities throughout the world. Paul – or its variations – can be a given name or surname.
Banks is an English surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the surname include:
Vicky, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki.
Lee is a unisex given name from the English word 'lee'. Also used as a surname as one of derivative spellings often confused with the Old English surname and given name leah, which evolved to 'leigh' in Middle English, and present day 'lea' of the same meaning.
Martin may either be a given name or surname. In Scotland, Martin or McMartin is a common surname of Scottish Gaelic origin. Martin is, however, more common as a masculine given name in many languages and cultures. It comes from the Latin name Martinus, which is a late derived form of the name of the Roman god Mars, protective godhead of the Latins and, therefore, god of war. The meaning is usually rendered in reference to the god as "of Mars" or "of war/warlike" ("martial"). Alternatively, it may also be derived from the Proto-Germanic elements "mar", meaning famous and "tank", meaning thought, counsel.
Ward is a surname of either Old English or Old Gaelic origin, common in English-speaking countries.
Bennett is an English surname and, less commonly, a given name. Alternative spellings include Bennet, Benett, Benet and Bennette. It is common throughout the British Isles, in England, Scotland and also in Ireland.
Craig is a Scottish, Irish and Welsh masculine given name, all variations derive from the same Celtic branch. The name has two origins. In some cases it can originate from a nickname, derived from the Scottish Gaelic word creag, meaning "rock," similar to Peter. In other cases, the given name originates from the Scottish surname Craig, which is also derived from the same Scottish Gaelic word. Cognate forms of creag include the Irish creig, Manx creg, and Welsh craig. The English word "crag" also shares an origin with these Celtic words. The given name Craig is popular in Scotland, and is used throughout the English speaking world.
Ross is an English-language name derived from Gaelic, most commonly used in Scotland. It is also the name of a county in the highland area. It can be used as a given name, typically for males, but is also a typical family name for people of Scottish descent. Derived from the Gaelic for a "promontory" or "headland".
McKenna is an Irish surname. It derives from the Gaelic name Cináed, meaning, “born of fire.” It is the anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Cionaodha meaning "son of Cionnaith", or of the Scottish surname, from Galloway, "MacCionaodha".
Tracy, as a British personal name, was originally adopted from Norman surnames such as those of the family de Tracy or de Trasci from Tracy-Bocage in Normandy, France. Derived from the Gaulish male name Draccios, or Latin Thracius, and the well-identified Celtic suffix -āko, such Norman surnames themselves sprung from several Tracy place-names in France.