what does the name leslie mean?

Answer 1

I would go with "garden of hollies" as the likely understanding of the name when it first took the FORM "Leslie". But this is a tough one
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The "grey fort" explanation is found in a number of 'baby name' books, but there's a problem with it. . . . wrong country!

The name "Leslie" is actually based on a Scottish SURNAME (last name of a clan in this case), from a place name in Scotland.

The "grey fort" explanation ALSO goes back to a place name, but not the correct one.

"Lislea" (from "Lios Liath") is a place name in Northern Ireland
https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0202&L=GAIDHLIG-B&P=1289
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lislea

The "Lis/Lios" part, meaning fort, is found in quite a number of Irish place names. See lists:
http://www.booksulster.com/library/plnm/placenamesL.php
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/ashorthistory/archive/topic15.shtml

On the surface this all looks like it could make sense. But, in fact, "Leslie" was a SCOTTISH surname, drawn from an entirely different place -- Leslyn, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This city gave its name to the "Leslie" clan, from which the first name was derived (as often happens).
http://www.motherbedford.com/ScottishClans.htm
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This seems pretty solid. But then what did THIS word mean? That's not entirely clear (though I think we can say it is NOT "grey fort"!)

Some interpret the name as meaning meaning "lesser/smaller meadow (lea)" (which would relate it to the English name "Lee")

Others take it as Gaelic. According to Gwendolyn software, this name for the city was Gaelic and probably means something like 'garden of hollies' (Leas for 'garden'). This is the view adopted by the behindthename web site -- which is a MUCH more careful and reliable site than the typical uneven baby name sites and books:
http://www.behindthename.com/name/leslie

Another interpretation of "Leslyn" is "garden by the pool"
http://thebabynamewizard.ivillage.com/parenting/archives/2007/09/you_mean_there_are_other_baby.html

Now that MAY be how the word was understood in Gaelic. But there is STILL a problem here.

The question is whether the name itself was originally Gaelic at all!

You see, the Scottish city was named for Bartholomew de Breslyn, a HUNGARIAN noble (son of Walter de Leslyn who apparently first took the name), who came to Scotland with Queen Margaret around 1067. This name in turn is said to be based on the HUNGARIAN Castle of Leslyn
http://books.google.com/books?id=oagTFN3kPxYC&pg=PA182&lpg=PA182&dq=leslyn+aberdeenshire+scotland&source=web&ots=S8Bc9nPLv2&sig=RWbgewJ7OSrHzb6Am0rFeADdshU
http://www.flora.org/rosaleen/geneal.html

So then WHERE did the Hungarian castle get its name, and what does it mean?? I cannot find anyone addressing this question. (Note, with all the interconnections of these nobles, changes in who held land, and the very UN-Hungarian names involved --"Walter" [Germanic], etc.-- we need not assume the family and/or place name "Leslyn" is from the Hungarian language. . . though Gaelic seems unlikely.)

By the way, one other suggestion is that the name may be derived from Lesslo, a maritime territory in Denmark. Unfortunately, I cannot find the basis for this.
http://www.isthisyour.name/paula_leslie.htm

MY suggestion -- whatever the PRE-Scottish origin of the name, it seems unlikely the Scottish understood it this way. Rather, by the time it became the clan name "Leslie" (and then the first name), it was more likely to be understood --even if re-interpreted-- in one of the Gaelic senses (such as "garden of the hollies") or perhaps even the English "small meadow".

If we regard it as by now a thoroughly Scottish name--taken over by them with their own interpretation-- why not simply interpret it that way? Re-interpreting old words and names is common enough in the history of language.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
what does the name leslie mean?

Answer 3

It is my mothers name and one of the most common meanings is grey fort - Dita

Answer 4

"from the grey fort"... it is Celtic in origin

Answer 5

that's a tricky question

Answer 6

feminine