Lee is an English surname that means "meadow" or "clearing", from the Old English leah, and it became a popular American first name in the South after the Civil War in honor of General Robert E. Lee. Short and unfussy, it also serves as a middle name for countless Americans. Lee ranked number 469 in the United States in 2000, peaked at number 464 in 2001 and has held very steadily between 660 and 790 over the past decade, ranking number 727 in 2025.