Lesley

MitzyLeFrouf - I have my eye on you ... moved on to knocking the Hilarys of this world now, have you? That is actually my middle name. Only joking, it's not but honest to goodness (a 'Lesley' phrase if ever there was one) what is wrong with Hilary? I know a couple of lovely Hilarys.

Don't love the American pronunciation of Lesley though - it's all 'Luz-lee' which give me the dry boak.

Thanks for the flowers WyrdByrd - sending you a right back since you took a battering on the royal name thread. It is surprisingly disconcerting to find your name is such a source of scorn (especially when you say oh that is my name and 100 new bods pile on in saying 'oh that's a shite name' )

I knew a Lesley at university who went by the name Lee. Still very masculine though.

I also know a female American Leslie - I don't know if that's the usual female spelling there but it can be confusing for Brits.

Hilary is terrible.

Makes me think of Les Dennis

Oo sorry i dont like it either.

SadLesley.

My first name (which I love) also got a fairly substantial kicking on the 'royal baby name' thread the other week.

I am resigned to my name. I will never love it.

It's not even that it's not pretty that bothers me. It's just that it's dreadful. At least if you're called Beverley, you can shorten it so something else. All of the available shortening of Lesley are dire. Les, Lezzy, Lezza, Lesbo... Even if we set aside the whole homophobic undercurrent that comes with names that sound anything like lesbian (which is unbelievably stupid, but annoying when you are 13), they're just hideous. Even more hideous than Lesley.

Just don't do it. The odds are that your daughter will hate her name too.

@sadlesley
Pahahaha, Yes a 'Lesley off'

I already commented on this thread (Lesley is an awful name, sorry to any Lesley's) but I agree that there are plenty of awful names on here also that get a lot of love eg Ptolemy and Xanthe as mentioned above. I think the difference is that these names are considered cool and "different" because they're more "now" whereas Lesley is very dated. I guarantee however that there'll be a SadXanthe or whatever on here in 30 years time getting slated about her name .

I've known a couple of female Lesleys who were really quite nice in a no nonsense type of way, but rather more fairly ineffectual men called Les. It's a very 70s name so I think a bit out of synch at the moment, plus I do think that there really is a good chance of Lezza being used as a nasty tease.

I've seen most of my older female relatives' names pop up on this thread!
The Lesley I know has not enjoyed having that name. I do like it better in an American accent for some reason, e.g. Lesley Knope!

You're needing to embrace the name DoNotCallYourBabyLesley - you may find a whole new level of love for it!

Yes MitzyLeFrouf I am beginning to froth at the mouth in my defence of my name but I am quite astounded that so many of you take such exception to it! I agree it's not super girly and pretty but even if it's not your cuppa tea, surely it's just quite a neutral name??

Was about to comment on Hilary, Bev, Barbara and Pauline, of which names I find one frankly dreadful but then I thought no, I'm not going to do that otherwise we will have a SadHilary / SadBev / SadBarbara / SadPauline on here frothing at the mouth in defence of their name!

Re Pauline - it sounds quite dated in English but it is quite en vogue in German speaking countries where it is pronounced 'Pow-lee-na' and it seems quite pretty!

Ilovenannyplum - I like the sound of your nan - I thnk we could try to outLesley each other with 'the look'

My nan is a Lesley, she is the most sensible and practical and amazing person I know.
She also takes no rubbish and when you get the look, you know you're in trouble

I think if I had a dd it would be almost at the very bottom of the list of names I'd consider.
But I'm struggling to think what would be lower tbh. It would be on a par with bev and Pauline.

(Sorry Lesleys of this thread)

I really don't like it - sorry! I knew two Lesley's who were perfectly nice but there are so many pretty names - why Lesley!

Sorry. Lesley is an awful name, though not as bad as Donna. Not too keen on Barbara. I love Hilary though!

Well Ptolomy is also a terrible name. It doesn't make Lesley a nice name.

On the recent Barbara name thread, someone said that they'd group it with Lesley and Hilary (I.e. names that should die a death and never come back). I do not disagree.

God it is awful - a really ugly name.

Love all the Lesley user names!

I'm stunned that Lesley is so universally vilified; while ridiculous nonsense like Ptolemy and Xanthe are considered so cool...

I am called Lesley. It is a hideous name and I do not understand why anyone would inflict it on a child.

It lends itself to only the most awful shortenings. It sounds horrible. It's dated (and will not be getting a revival, due to being horrible). Everyone misspells it. I have nothing good to say about being called Lesley. I've never met another Lesley who thought it was a nice name (well, until SadLesley). Bleurgh to Lesley.

My middle name is Anne. Technically, I'm Lesley-Anne but we'll all forget that and pretend my dad didn't do that to me.

It's one of those names where I try and imagine someone giving birth and looking at their baby then calling them Lesley and I just can't imagine why or how, I'm sorry.