Surname Lesslie - Meaning and Origin

Lesslie: What does the surname Lesslie mean?

The last name Lesslie is an English and Scottish surname. In England, it is believed to be derived from the Old English term for meadow, leslie, and is likely a name for a family living near such a location. In Scotland, it is thought to have been derived from the placename Lesmahagow, possibly meaning “enclosure of the books”, likely referring to a place where books and records were stored.

Before the introduction of hereditary surnames in the late 1400s, the name Lesslie may have been bestowed to families descended from a person with a particular trait or characteristic. For example, “lesslie” could have been given to those of smaller stature or lower social class.

Today, the Lesslie name is popular in both England and Scotland, and in the New World – North America, Australia, and New Zealand – it appears in the surnames list for each of those countries. The most famous bearer of the name is undoubtedly Andrews Lesslie, a Scottish medical doctor who wrote the influential book “The Principles and Practice of Medicine” in 1879.

Lesslie: Where does the name Lesslie come from?

The last name Lesslie is most commonly found today in British and Irish populations. In the United Kingdom, Lesslie is most commonly found in Scotland, where the name originated from. In Scotland, Lesslie is the 967th most popular last name. While it is far less common than in Scotland, Lesslie can also be found in other parts of the United Kingdom, particularly in Northern Ireland and England. In Northern Ireland, Lesslie is the 5,361st most common surname. In the United States, the last name Lesslie is even rarer. It is the 8,113th most popular surname. It is primarily found in the states of South Carolina and Louisiana, where it is the 590th and 951st most common last name, respectively. Lesslie is also found in other countries around the world with large emigrant populations from the British Isles, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Lesslie

The Lesslie surname is derived from a place name meaning either ‘garden of holly’ or ‘grey fort’. The various variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for Lesslie include: Lasslie, Lasley, Lassly, Lasslie, Lesley, Lesly, Lessly, and Lasley.

Lasslie is the most typical variant spelling of Lesslie. It originated as a diminutive form of the surname MacAlasdair, which is a Scottish contraction of MacAlister. The suffix ley or ly often means “meadow” or “field” and Lasslie is most likely derived from this, also being linked to the Gaelic name Lasadhair.

Lesley is also another closely related variant of Lesslie and in some instances might be a variant of the surname Leslie. The surname Leslie originated as a Scottish territorial name from the barony of Leslie in Aberdeenshire, which was established about the middle of the 12th century.

In England, Lesley is a common spelling variant for the name Leslie, while in Scotland it is most commonly spelled as Lesslie.

Lasley is another variant of Lesslie with a common spelling in Scotland. It is also another form of Lessly and is most likely derived from the Gaelic word “lios” which can mean “garden” or “enclosure”.

Lessly is another spelling variant of Lesslie which is found predominately in Scotland. As with other variants, it is likely derived from the Gaelic word “lios” which can mean “garden” or “enclosure”.

Finally, there is an alternative spelling form of the surname that is more commonly found in the US, Lassly. This is most often found in the US due to the influx of Scots-Irish immigrants to the area during the 18th century.

In summary, the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Lesslie are Lasslie, Lesley, Lesly, Lessly, and Lasley.

Famous people with the name Lesslie

• William Lesslie: Scottish footballer
• James Lesslie: Australian film maker
• Kenneth Lesslie: British classical composer
• Robert Lesslie: American physician and author
• Alistair Lesslie: British politician
• Charles Lesslie: Scottish Army Officer and MP
• Peter Lesslie: British Jesuit Priest and Author
• Susan Lesslie: Canadian athlete
• Christina Lesslie: American actress
• Robert Lesslie: British actor

Other surnames

Lessley