Kinlee is a modern American spelling of Kinley, which comes from the Scottish surname McKinley, "son of Fionnlagh", a Gaelic name meaning "fair warrior" or "white warrior". It belongs to the large family of -lee names that American parents created in the 2000s and 2010s, alongside Kinslee and Kynlee. Kinlee stood at number 6657 in 2000, peaked at number 1089 in 2014 and has slipped to number 2500 among girls' names in 2025.