Lee

I've read through the comments with a few referring to Lee as a "filler name". I think the term and notion is misguided. It is not a filler, and though it may be a simple popular name that may not be everyone's preference, it's still a good one, and we can't assume why anyone is using it.

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What particularly makes Lee a bonafide given name is that in the English language, 'Lee' is a word meaning "shelter(ed), protection, haven, sanctuary". The word 'lea', same pronunciation (LEE), means "meadow, clearing, garden", and has been used in many poetic contexts. It's an anglisation of the Anglo-Saxon word 'lei', from Saxon 'loh', that in Old English evolved to 'leah', to 'legh' and then 'leigh' in Middle English and eventually 'lea'. In this context, personal names took the forms Lea, Leigh, Lee, Leie and Leagh.

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Lee is the name of a river in County Cork, Ireland, known as "River Lee", from Irish Gaelic "An Laoi" (The Lee). "Lee River" is also the name of a river and town in Manitoba, Canada. Different river, different spelling, same pronunciation, exists the "River Lea" in England, UK.

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The word 'laoidh' (LEE) is a Scottish Gaelic word, meaning "hymn, psalm, anthem, poem", which stems from an Old Irish word. "Laoidhigh" (LEEH), is an Irish Gaelic personal name, meaning "poetic".

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Lee can be a namesake, a family name, or a derivation of a family name of Anglo-Saxon descent, having spread to England and the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

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Lee is sometimes chosen as an English transliteration for the Hebrew word / name לִי "me", or the word / name לי "to me; for me" with the same pronunciation. It is also used as a transliteration for East Asian names. For others, it may just be a personal appreciation.

My way of having learned the meaning behind my name Lee, is I was taught its intended meaning is that Lee stands for protection. Meaning cover, safety, shelter, protection. Example in a sentence: Wear this in Lee of the storm's treacherous furry. I'll keep you in Lee.

I question the meaning as deriving from leah, a clearing or field. I've read this all my life and thought, what kind of parent names their child Clearing or Field? The more obvious and sensible derivation is from leeward, alee and leery which would mean sheltered or protected. This not only makes more sense from the parents' perspective but also from a genealogical one as Leah is Gaelic and the AngloSaxons used feld and velt, which are not common names. Besides, it makes my name mean something much cooler, Lee Arthur, protected of Thor, versus field of Thor. Thor was not a farmer, he was a warrior.

Lee, as a girl's name, can be used as a nickname for Leatrice.

Well don't know if it's true, but my father said he named me Lee after the Chinese word for Victory. He served in the Royal Navy in the 50s/60s and spent a lot of time in Hong Kong.

LeeJ, you were half correct. "Shengli (胜利)" is the full version of "victory" in Chinese, and the "Li/Lee" part of the word (利) actually means "benefit, advantage, favorable, and sharp.