The Lee Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Lee, its origins in England, and the story behind a Lee family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Lee coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Lee name
Lee is an English topographic name for someone who lived by a woodland clearing or meadow, from Old English lēah, one of the most common elements in English place names. It is also a habitational name from the many places called Lee, Lea or Leigh. In the United States and elsewhere Lee is also the usual English spelling of the Chinese surname Li and the Korean surname Yi, which have separate origins.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Lee name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Lee name in England. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Australia and Canada; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Lee family history
The complete Lee pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Lee name FAQ
What does the Lee name mean?
Woodland clearing, meadow. Common variants include Lea, Leigh, Ley.
Where does the Lee surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Lee coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Lee crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Lee coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.