Leslie (name)

{{Infobox given name

| name = Leslie

| image=

| imagesize=

| caption=

| pronunciation= {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɛ|s|l|i|}} {{respell|LESS|lee}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɛ|z|l|i|}} {{respell|LEZ|lee}}

| gender = Unisex (Male/Female)

| derivation = from a placename

| meaning = "Holly garden", "Glorious ruler"

| region = Scotland, Central and Eastern Europe

| languageorigin = Scottish Gaelic, Hungarian, Slavic languages

| 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,{{cite web|url=http://fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk/placename/?id=1432|title=Fife Place-name Data :: Leslie|website=fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk}} perhaps an anglicisation of an originally Gaelic {{lang|gd|leas celyn}} "holly-garden".{{cite web|url=http://www.behindthename.com/name/leslie|title=Meaning, origin and history of the name Leslie|first=Mike|last=Campbell|website=Behind the Name}} Leslie is also frequently used as an anglicization of the male name Ladislaus, or its variant László.{{cite web|title=Laszlo|url=https://www.kidpaw.com/names/laszlo|website=kidpaw.com|access-date=April 28, 2023}}{{cite web|title=Definitions for lászló|url=https://www.definitions.net/definition/lászló|website=definitions.net|access-date=April 28, 2023}} In this context, the name is derived from Slavic elements, with 'vladeti' meaning 'rule' and 'slava' meaning 'glory'.{{cite web|title=Vladislav|url=https://nameberry.com/babyname/vladislav|website=nameberry.com|access-date=April 28, 2023}} In the United Kingdom, the name is spelled Leslie when given to boys, while for girls it is usually rendered as Lesley.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Notable people and characters with the name include:

Given name

= Female =

Leslie (singer) (born 1985), French pop-R&B singer
Leslie Cohen Berlowitz (1944–2020), American academic
Leslie Bibb (born 1974), American actress
Leslie Caron (born 1931), French actress
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, American puppeteer, also known as Abby Cadabby, on Sesame Street
Leslie Carter (1986–2012), American singer, sister of Nick and Aaron Carter
Mrs. Leslie Carter (1857–1937), American stage actress
Leslie Cheng, American mathematician
Leslie Erganian, American artist
Leslie Feist (born 1976), Canadian singer
Leslie Fish, American musician and songwriter
Lesley Gore (1946–2015), American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist
Leslie Graves (1959–1995), American actress
Leslie Herson (1942–2008), American businesswoman and artist
Leslie Hogben, American mathematician
Annette "Leslie" Jones (born 1967), American comedian and actress
Leslie Ann Jones, American recording engineer
Leslie Liao, American comedian
Leslie Mahaffy (1976–1991), Canadian homicide victim
Leslie Mann (born 1972), American actress
Lesley Manville (born 1956), English actress
Leslie Marshall (journalist), American journalist
Leslie Marshall (writer), American novelist, magazine editor and journalist
Leslie "Sam" Phillips (born 1962), American singer and songwriter
Leslie Pope (1954–2020), American set decorator
Lesley Stahl (born 1941), American television journalist
Lesley Sharp (born 1960), English stage, film, and television actress
Leslie Silva (born 1968), American actress
Leslie Crocker Snyder (born 1942), American lawyer and former judge
Leslie Uggams (born 1943), American actress
Leslie Van Houten (born 1949), American murderer and member of the Manson Family
Lesley Ann Warren (born 1946), American actress

= Male =

Les Aspin (1938–1995), American politician
Leslie Banks (1890–1952), English actor
Leslie Benzies (born 1971), Scottish video game producer and former president of Rockstar North
Leslie Bohem (born 1951), screenwriter who wrote Dante's Peak and Taken, among others
Leslie Cauchi, backup singer with The Del-Satins and Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge
Leslie Charteris (1907–1993), half-Chinese, half-English author of primarily mystery fiction
Leslie Cheung (1956–2003), Hong Kong actor-singer
Leslie Claudius (1927–2012), Indian Olympic hockey player
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool (born 1963), lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus
Leslie Cochran (1951–2012), vagrant cross-dresser of Austin, Texas
Leslie Crowther (1933–1996), English comedian and TV presenter
Leslie Dilley (1941–2025), Welsh production designer and art director
Leslie Duncan (1880–1952), Australian journalist and politician
Leslie J. Edhlund (1911–1994), American mechanical engineer and politician
Les Ferdinand (born 1966), English footballer
Leslie Frazier (born 1959), American NFL head coach and former player
Les Gleadell (1921–2009), Falkland Islands civil servant
Leslie Grade (1916–1979), born Laszlo Winogradsky, British theatrical talent agent
Leslie Groves (1896–1970), American general in command of the Manhattan Project
Leslie Groves (cricketer) (1911–1990), New Zealand cricketer
Leslie Hardman (1919–2008), Orthodox rabbi, British Army chaplain at Bergen-Belsen
Leslie Bob Hope (1903–2003), born Leslie Townes Hope, British-born American actor-comedian
Leslie Howard (actor) (1893–1943), British actor
Leslie Howard (musician) (born 1948), Australian pianist and composer
Leslie Mervyn Jayaratne, Sri Lankan Sinhala judge, author, 2nd Governor of Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Leslie Peter Johnson (1930–2016), English philologist
Leslie Jones (disambiguation), several people
Leslie Jordan (1955–2022), American actor
Leslie Lam, Chinese-Canadian former Paralympian
Leslie Lamport (born 1941), American computer scientist
Les Locke (1934 – c. 1996), Scottish footballer with Queens Park Rangers
Leslie Khoo Kwee Hock, Singaporean convicted murderer and life convict
Leslie Lynch King, Jr. (1913–2006), birth name of 38th U.S. President Gerald Ford
Leslie Manigat (1930–2014), President of Haiti
Les Miles (born 1953), American college football coach and former player
Leslie Miller (disambiguation), several people
Les Mills (born 1934), New Zealand track and field athlete and politician
Leslie Moonves (born 1949), President and CEO of CBS
Leslie Nielsen (1926–2010), Canadian-American actor and comedian
Leslie Odom Jr. (born 1981), American actor and singer
Leslie O'Neal (born 1964), American football player
Leslie Parnas (1931–2022), American musician
Leslie Phillips (1924–2022), English actor
Leslie Pridgen (born 1978), American rapper who goes by the name of Freeway
Leslie E. Robertson (1928–2021), American engineer
Leslie Sears (1901–1992), English cricketer
Leslie Stephen (1832–1904), English author and critic
Leslie Thomas (1931–2014), British author
Leslie Valiant (born 1949), British computer scientist
Leslie L. Westin (1917–1985), American businessman, educator, and politician
Leslie West (1945–2020), American musician
Les Wexner (born 1937), American businessman, founder of L Brands
Leslie D. Zettergren (born 1943), American biomedical researcher
Leslie Patrick Bailey (1953–1993), British serial killer and member of the 'Dirty Dozen'
Leslie Mándoki (born 1953), German-Hungarian singer

Surname

Alan M. Leslie, Scottish psychologist
Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross (died 1402)
Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven (c. 1580 – 1661)
Alexander Leslie of Auchintoul (died 1663)
Andrew Leslie (Canadian Army officer) (born 1957), Canadian Forces general and politician
Andrew Leslie (shipbuilder) (1818–?), Scottish shipbuilder
Andrew Leslie, 5th Earl of Rothes (died 1611), Scottish nobleman
Ann Leslie (1941–2023), British journalist
Austin Leslie (1934–2005), New Orleans chef
Bethel Leslie (1929–1999), American actress and screenwriter
Cameron Leslie (born 1990), New Zealand paralympics gold medal winner
Charles Leslie (nonjuror) (1650–1722), British Jacobite nonjuror and controversialist
Charles Leslie (priest) (1718–1781), Irish Anglican priest
Charles Robert Leslie (1794–1859), American genre painter
Chris Leslie (born 1972), British Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Shipley and for Nottingham East
Chris Leslie (musician) (born 1956), English electric folk musician
Conor Leslie (born 1991), American actress
Cory Leslie (born 1989), American steeplechase runner
David Leslie, 1st Lord Newark (c. 1600–1682), Scottish Civil War general
David Leslie (Oregon politician) (c. 1797–1869), American missionary and pioneer in Oregon
David Leslie (racing driver) (1953–2008), Scottish Touring Car racing driver
Delroy Leslie (born 1970), Jamaican boxer
Desmond Leslie (1921–2001), Irish writer and film-maker
Donald Leslie, (1911–2004), American musician, created and manufactured the Leslie speaker
Edgar Leslie (1885–1976), American songwriter, lyricist, charter member of ASCAP
Edward Leslie (born 1957), American professional wrestler
Frank Leslie (1821–80), English-American publisher of Frank Leslie's Weekly
Frank Leslie (Medal of Honor), American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
Franklyn Leslie (c. 1848 – c. 1930), Western gunfighter
Frederick W. Leslie (born 1951), NASA payload specialist
George Dunlop Leslie (1835–1921), English artist
George Leonidas Leslie (1842–1878), American bank robber and architect
Henry David Leslie (1822–1896), English composer and conductor
Javicia Leslie, (born 1987), American actress
Jim Leslie (journalist) (1937–1976), American public relations executive
Jim Leslie (businessman) (1922–2012), Australian businessman
Joan Leslie (1925–2015), American actress
John Leslie (disambiguation), several people
Jordan Leslie (born 1991), American football player
Lawrie Leslie (1935–2019), Scottish footballer
Lew Leslie (1886–1963), Broadway producer
Lisa Leslie (born 1972), American basketball player
Martin Leslie (Australian footballer) (born 1962), Australian rules footballer
Martin Leslie (rugby union) (born 1971), New Zealand rugby union player
May Sybil Leslie (1887–1937), British chemist
Megan Leslie, a Member of Parliament in the riding of Halifax, Nova Scotia
Melanie Leslie, dean of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Michael Leslie (born 1993), Scottish snooker player
Michael Leslie (dancer), Indigenous Australian dancer and choreographer
Miriam Leslie (1828–1914), American publisher, author, and suffragist, wife of Frank Leslie
Patrick Leslie (1815–1881), early settler in Australia
Preston Leslie (1819–1907), governor of Kentucky (1871–75)
R. Conrad Leslie, American businessman
Rose Leslie (born 1987), Scottish actress
Ryan Leslie (born 1978), American record producer and singer
Shane Leslie, Sir John Randolph Leslie, 3rd Baronet (1885–1971)
Sheila Leslie (born 1955), American politician
Stefan Leslie (born 1987), Canadian soccer player
Steve Leslie (footballer, born 1976), Scottish footballer
Steve Leslie (footballer, born 1987), Scottish footballer
Thomas Edward Cliffe Leslie (1825–1882), Irish economist
Walter Leslie, Lord of Ross (died 1382)
Walter Leslie (field marshal) (1607–1667), Imperial field marshal
William Leslie (disambiguation) or Bill Leslie, several people

Fictional characters

Leslie Burke, the female protagonist of the Katherine Paterson novel Bridge to Terabithia
Leslie Crambottom, a character In the American sitcom Silver Spoons
Leslie Lynnton, the socialite played by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1956 film Giant
Lieutenant Leslie, a character from Star Trek, played by Eddie Paskey (spelled Lesley in the show's credits, but has come to be written more often as Leslie by the fandom)
Leslie "Jake" Ryan (Hannah Montana), a recurring character on the Disney Channel program Hannah Montana, played by Cody Linley
Leslie Chow, Chinese character in The Hangover
Leslie Knope, the main character on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, played by Amy Poehler
Leslie Winkle, a recurring character on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, played by Sara Gilbert
Leslie, a flower from The Amazing World of Gumball, a Cartoon Network British animated series
Leslie Meyers, a character in South Park
Nurse Leslie, a character in Camp Lazlo
Leslie Withers, a character from the survival horror video game The Evil Within
Leslie P. Lilylegs, an antagonist in the Looney Tunes
Leslie Kyle, a character in the video game, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the novel, Final Fantasy VII The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story, voiced by Mark Whitten
Lesley is a playable character in the mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Captain Leslie Hero, a main character from the adult animated television sitcom Drawn Together and a lecherous parody of Superman and other superheroes
Leslie Vernon, the main character of the 2006 horror-comedy "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon", played by Nathan Baesel
Leslie Noodman, a character from Sanjay and Craig
The Great Leslie, a character played by Tony Curtis in the 1965 film The Great Race
Leslie, a lesbian from adult animated series Brickleberry
Leslie, a student in the Wayside animated TV series
Leslie Bloomberg, protagonist of upcoming webcomic series 8th Grade.
Lezly "Big Lez" Mackerel, main character of Australian comedy web series, The Big Lez Show