Leslie Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Leslie last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Leslie last name
Meaning of the Leslie last name: from Leslie in Aberdeenshire. Leslie is a Scottish surname from the lands of Leslie in Aberdeenshire. The family spread widely, and the last name later became a first name too. Curiously, an old rhyme says a knight won the name by fighting "between the less lee and the mair", but the real origin is simply the place.
Arms associated with the Leslie name
Coats of arms associated with the Leslie surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full Leslie family history
This is only a glimpse of the Leslie story. The full Leslie history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Leslie coat of arms. Get the full Leslie report.
Leslie name FAQ
What does the Leslie name mean?
From Leslie in Aberdeenshire. Common variants include Lesley, Lesslie.
Where does the Leslie surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in England, Canada and the United States.
Is there a Leslie coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Leslie coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).