Lee is a common surname in English-speaking countries. In Canada, "Lee" was the 4th-most-common surname outside of Quebec. In the United States during the 2000 census, "Lee" was the 22nd-most-common surname.

Origins

England

There are several distinct origins of the Lee surname. The most common is derived from Old English lēah, meaning a meadow or forest clearing. This developed variously into the surnames Lee, Lea, and Leigh.

Ireland

The name in Ireland has several diverse origins, resulting in widely dispersed clusters of the name in South Western, Western (Galway) and North Eastern Counties. One recognized root was the anglicization of the Irish surname "Ó Laoidigh" which resulted in several variants, such as Lee, Lea, and Maclee. Other Lees have English roots and still others may have derived from the Norman "Du Lea". The 1901 Irish census list 4912 entries primarily in Galway, Dublin, Cork, Antrim, Limerick and Down counties.

Norway

Originating from Norway as "Lie", this surname was altered when it arrived in the Americas in the late 1800s to fit the English language's pronunciation.

People with the surname

Fictional characters

Places

Several places in the US have been named for the various famous people named Lee:

United States