Origins of the Lee surname

What does the name Lee mean?

The surname Lee has a number of different roots. Lee is internationally seen in names from Asia (particularly Korea), but in the English-Speaking world it most often derives from the Old English word 'leah' (a forest clearing or meadow), and would be given to someone who lives at or near one of these geographical features.

Alternative variations of the name Lee

Lee, Lea, Legh, Leigh, Ley, Lees

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Delve deeper into the Lee family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 3138North West 1972Isle of Man 54Yorkshire 9178East Midlands 2127West Midlands 1930East 2809London 11103South East 4098South West 1896South Wales 506Mid Wales 79West Wales 6North Wales 208Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Lees lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

100,000 Lee Travel & migration records
510,000 Lees found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Lee

How common is your surname?

49th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Lee surname. The oldest one dates back to 1196.

Who were Lees most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Lees.

What are the most common Lee first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Lee family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Lees

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Lees in 1921

Dressmaker

1,972

Cotton Weaver

1,342

Laundress

1,285

Domestic Servant

1,070

General Servant Domestic

959

Common male occupations for Lees in 1921

Coal Miner

2,114

General Labourer

2,023

Agricultural Labourer

1,766

Farmer

1,381

Farm Labourer

1,136

We found over 1,500,000 family trees with the Lee surname

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