Harlee is a variant of Harley, an English surname and place name from the Old English hara and leah, meaning "hare meadow" or "hare clearing". The motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson gave the name its rebel edge, and the -lee spelling followed the pattern of Kaylee and Rylee. Harlee entered the US top 1000 in 2012, peaked at number 621 in 2017 and ranks number 1048 in 2025.