Find out how popular the first name Lessie has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Lessie by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Lessie is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 96% of people named Lessie being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 7 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Lessie.

The history of the first name Lessie

The name Lessie is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the late 19th century. It is a diminutive form of the name Elizabeth, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning "God is my oath."

Lessie is thought to have emerged as a nickname or pet form of Elizabeth, with the addition of the diminutive suffix "-ie." This trend of creating shortened and affectionate versions of formal names was popular in English-speaking countries during the Victorian era.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Lessie can be found in the 1887 novel "The Honorable Peter Stirling" by Paul Leicester Ford, where it is the name of a character. However, it is possible that the name was in use earlier, as written records from that time period may be incomplete.

In the early 20th century, Lessie gained some prominence as the name of Lessie Brown, an American musician and composer born in 1904 in Kansas. She is best known for her work in the field of African American folk music and for collaborating with notable figures such as Langston Hughes.

Another notable individual named Lessie was Lessie Jo Frazier, an American mathematician and computer scientist born in 1921. She made significant contributions to the field of numerical analysis and worked on important projects such as the development of the FORTRAN programming language.

In the realm of literature, Lessie is the name of a character in the 1925 novel "The Mocking Bird" by Walter Edmonds. The book, set in rural New York in the late 19th century, depicts the life of a young girl named Lessie and her family.

A lesser-known figure named Lessie was Lessie Moore, an American educator and civil rights activist born in 1885 in Mississippi. She played a significant role in promoting equal educational opportunities for African American students in the early 20th century.

While not as common as some other names, Lessie has left its mark in various fields throughout history, from music and literature to mathematics and civil rights activism.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Lessie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lessie, please contact us.

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