Lesley

femaleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Lesley: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Lesley: Recorded since 1952, its highest recorded position is #34, and it stood at #3,695 in 2024.

5registrars recorded it
95times a registrar ranked it
73years from first to last
#34highest recorded position
19groupings it qualifies for

Region

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Girls rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#671
1997	#770
1998	#817
1999	#1393
2000	#993
2001	#1439
2002	#1032
2003	#1996
2004	#1252
2005	#1243
2006	#1983
2007	#2627
2008	#2721
2009	#2148
2010	#2589
2011	#4049
2012	#4171
2013	#3160
2014	#2659
2015	#5730
2016	#5785
2017	#3583
2018	#5666
2024	#3695

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among girls in Republic of Ireland in 36 of the 39 years from 1964 to 2002.

In 2002: #512 among girls in Republic of Ireland, #1032 among girls in England and Wales.

Official data from 5 national registrars across 5 regions, 1952–2024 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1952
First recorded at #34 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1967
Highest recorded position: #34 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1967).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls

Lesley appears in 7 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Girls, with 36 ranked years and 849 births registered; the earliest is New South Wales, Australia · Girls, from 1952.

Lesley across 7 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Lesley's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Girls	#201 (1964)	#133 (1968)	#512 (2002)	36 of 39	849 (1964–2002)	50 (1981)
England and Wales · Girls	#671 (1996)	#671 (1996)	#3695 (2024)	24 of 29	300 (1996–2024)	35 (1996)
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#256 (1966)	#204 (1971)	#330 (1982)	5 of 17	24 (1966–1982)	9 (1971)
New South Wales, Australia · Girls	#34 (1952)	#34 (1952)	#100 (1967)	14 of 16	2,238 (1952–1967)	271 (1952)
New Zealand · Girls	#37 (1954)	#37 (1954)	#89 (1967)	12 of 14	1,453 (1954–1967)	171 (1954)
England and Wales · Boys	#3849 (2005)	#3849 (2005)	#4805 (2012)	2 of 8	6 (2005–2012)	3 (2005)
Northern Ireland · Girls	#358 (1997)	#259 (1999)	#259 (1999)	2 of 3	8 (1997–1999)	5 (1999)

Lesley by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Lesley in Republic of Ireland · Girls, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	139	6 of 10	23
1970sbusiest	324	10 of 10	32
1980s	288	10 of 10	29
1990s	94	9 of 10	10
2000s	4	1 of 10	4

Across Republic of Ireland · Girls, the 1970s were its busiest decade, averaging 32 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1968 and 1969, when recorded births fell by 28, from 42 to 14.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Lesley appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1952 to 2024. Highest recorded position: #34 in New South Wales, Australia in 1952.

Lesley's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	female	#3695	6	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	female	#5666	3	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	female	#3583	6	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	female	#5785	3	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	female	#5730	3	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	female	#2659	9	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	female	#3160	7	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	female	#4171	5	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	male	#4805	3	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	female	#4049	5	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	female	#2589	9	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	female	#2148	11	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	female	#2721	8	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	female	#2627	8	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	female	#1983	11	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	female	#1243	19	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#3849	3	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	female	#1252	18	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	female	#1996	9	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	female	#1032	21	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	female	#1439	13	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	female	#993	21	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	female	#1393	13	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	female	#817	27	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	female	#770	30	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	female	#671	35	High	Verified
1967	New South Wales, Australia	female	#100	75	Insufficient	Not yet available
1964	New South Wales, Australia	female	#90	88	Insufficient	Not yet available
1963	New South Wales, Australia	female	#84	91	Insufficient	Not yet available
1962	New South Wales, Australia	female	#72	121	Insufficient	Not yet available
1961	New South Wales, Australia	female	#76	121	Insufficient	Not yet available
1960	New South Wales, Australia	female	#65	135	Insufficient	Not yet available
1959	New South Wales, Australia	female	#62	141	Insufficient	Not yet available
1958	New South Wales, Australia	female	#63	148	Insufficient	Not yet available
1957	New South Wales, Australia	female	#54	169	Insufficient	Not yet available
1956	New South Wales, Australia	female	#57	158	Insufficient	Not yet available
1955	New South Wales, Australia	female	#39	236	Insufficient	Not yet available
1954	New South Wales, Australia	female	#43	220	Insufficient	Not yet available
1953	New South Wales, Australia	female	#38	264	Insufficient	Not yet available
1952	New South Wales, Australia	female	#34	271	Insufficient	Not yet available
1967	New Zealand	female	#89	77	High	Verified
1964	New Zealand	female	#90	79	High	Verified
1963	New Zealand	female	#75	104	High	Verified
1962	New Zealand	female	#82	97	High	Verified
1961	New Zealand	female	#76	109	High	Verified
1960	New Zealand	female	#67	109	High	Verified
1959	New Zealand	female	#47	151	High	Verified
1958	New Zealand	female	#47	146	High	Verified
1957	New Zealand	female	#60	114	High	Verified
1956	New Zealand	female	#42	142	High	Verified
1955	New Zealand	female	#41	154	High	Verified
1954	New Zealand	female	#37	171	High	Verified
1999	Northern Ireland	female	#259	5	High	Verified
1997	Northern Ireland	female	#358	3	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	female	#512	4	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	female	#498	3	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	female	#496	4	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	female	#316	9	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	female	#352	7	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	female	#411	5	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	female	#242	15	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	female	#363	7	High	Verified
1991	Republic of Ireland	female	#171	26	High	Verified
1990	Republic of Ireland	female	#214	18	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	female	#212	19	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	female	#194	22	High	Verified
1987	Republic of Ireland	female	#163	32	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	female	#193	24	High	Verified
1985	Republic of Ireland	female	#187	28	High	Verified
1984	Republic of Ireland	female	#205	25	High	Verified
1983	Republic of Ireland	female	#199	25	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	female	#181	31	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	male	#330	3	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	female	#142	50	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	male	#292	4	High	Verified
1980	Republic of Ireland	female	#189	32	High	Verified
1979	Republic of Ireland	female	#161	40	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	female	#146	47	High	Verified
1977	Republic of Ireland	female	#159	44	High	Verified
1976	Republic of Ireland	female	#182	32	High	Verified
1975	Republic of Ireland	female	#151	45	High	Verified
1974	Republic of Ireland	female	#223	20	High	Verified
1973	Republic of Ireland	female	#170	38	High	Verified
1972	Republic of Ireland	female	#220	19	High	Verified
1971	Republic of Ireland	female	#229	17	High	Verified
1971	Republic of Ireland	male	#204	9	High	Verified
1970	Republic of Ireland	female	#196	22	High	Verified
1969	Republic of Ireland	female	#231	14	High	Verified
1969	Republic of Ireland	male	#246	5	High	Verified
1968	Republic of Ireland	female	#133	42	High	Verified
1967	Republic of Ireland	female	#157	27	High	Verified
1966	Republic of Ireland	female	#174	21	High	Verified
1966	Republic of Ireland	male	#256	3	High	Verified
1965	Republic of Ireland	female	#172	21	High	Verified
1964	Republic of Ireland	female	#201	14	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
New South Wales, Australia hub — collected by NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
New Zealand hub — collected by NZ Department of Internal Affairs
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 5 registrars between 1952 and 2024, ranked in 68 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #34, first reached in 1952.

It held a top-100 place in 14 years, 13 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 271 births, registered in New South Wales, Australia in 1952.

1 registrar publishes it in more than one category list, holding a place in each for at least five years — an observation about those lists rather than about the name.

Its record falls into 2 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 5 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1954, and 45 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Lerryn · #2502, 12y
Lesedi · #3849, 9y
Leslie · #37, 67y
Lester · #245, 28y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 5 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Donald · #34, 68y
Warren · #35, 73y
Carolyn · #32, 68y
Gavin · #32, 72y

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1950 and 1959.

Alicia · #34, 63y
Dennis · #34, 74y
Donald · #34, 68y
Pernille · #34, 64y

Lesley was ranked #34 in New South Wales, Australia · Girls in 1952. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Lesley and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Lesley without appearing here.

Lesley moved ahead of

Cheryl Compare
In 2023 they stood at #5666 and #2674 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2024 that had become #3695 and #5891.
Donna Compare
In 2023 they stood at #5666 and #3518 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2024 that had become #3695 and #5891.
Kirsten Compare
In 2023 they stood at #5666 and #1977 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2024 that had become #3695 and #5891.
Brittany Compare
In 2023 they stood at #5666 and #4684 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2024 that had become #3695 and #4843.

Moved ahead of Lesley

Meabh Compare
In 2017 they stood at #3583 and #4063 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #1711.
Malin Compare
In 2015 they stood at #3160 and #4739 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2016 that had become #5785 and #2120.
Eabha Compare
In 2014 they stood at #2659 and #3514 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2015 that had become #5730 and #2070.
Diane Compare
In 2014 they stood at #2659 and #2862 in England and Wales · Girls; by 2015 that had become #5730 and #2496.

Moved the opposite way to Lesley

Aisling Compare
Between 1964 and 2002 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lesley went from #201 to #512 while Aisling went from #154 to #27.
Alexandra Compare
Between 1964 and 2002 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lesley went from #201 to #512 while Alexandra went from #222 to #78.
Ashley Compare
Between 1964 and 2002 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lesley went from #201 to #512 while Ashley went from #372 to #208.
Charlotte Compare
Between 1964 and 2002 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lesley went from #201 to #512 while Charlotte went from #171 to #91.

Moved the same way as Lesley

Audrey Compare
Between 1964 and 2002 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lesley went from #201 to #512 and Audrey from #85 to #406.
Deirdre Compare
Between 1964 and 2002 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lesley went from #201 to #512 and Deirdre from #14 to #182.
Eileen Compare
Between 1964 and 2002 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lesley went from #201 to #512 and Eileen from #17 to #238.
Evelyn Compare
Between 1964 and 2002 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Lesley went from #201 to #512 and Evelyn from #83 to #312.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1952 to 2024. Highest recorded position: #34 in New South Wales, Australia in 1952. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Lesley

Lesley at a glance

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Lesley across 7 official records

Lesley by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Lesley appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Names published alongside Lesley

Lesley and the names beside it

Lesley moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Lesley

Moved the opposite way to Lesley

Moved the same way as Lesley

Lesley at a glance

Lesley across 7 official records

Lesley by decade in Republic of Ireland · Girls

Lesley appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Names published alongside Lesley

Lesley and the names beside it

Lesley moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Lesley

Moved the opposite way to Lesley

Moved the same way as Lesley