Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Lesley

80 replies

VictoriaOKeefe · 18/05/2015 07:46

What do people think of Lesley for a girl. what about middle names to go with it?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
iHAVEtogetoutofhere · 18/05/2015 15:36

The Lesley I know is exceptionally lazy conniving and spiteful.

Funny how you like or dislike names depending on who you know with them, isn't it?

I think it is quite old fashioned and masculine sounding but if you like it then go for it.

aoife24 · 18/05/2015 16:43

It sounds horrible and looks horrible written,

SadLesley · 18/05/2015 19:36

Have to disagree aoife24 - I think it has a lovely balanced look to it and a nice flourishy 'y' to finish on ... what's not to like? Don't think it sounds too horrible either but I'm slightly biased. Obviously the overall sound is not so good if the surname is Wesley ... or Smesley ... but otherwise it's a winner really.

greenishfingers · 18/05/2015 19:41

I like it! Strong and lovely I think.

Leslie Knopes from Parks and Recreation is an ace contemporary Leslie FYI Grin

MitzyLeFrouf · 18/05/2015 19:47

SadLesley I doff my hat to your defence of your name. Lesleys of the world would approve!

LorryHen · 18/05/2015 20:11

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.

DoNotCallYourBabyLesley · 18/05/2015 20:25

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.

Floggingmolly · 18/05/2015 20:28

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

MitzyLeFrouf · 18/05/2015 20:30

Love all the Lesley user names! Grin

FatAli · 18/05/2015 20:30

God it is awful - a really ugly name.

DoNotCallYourBabyLesley · 18/05/2015 20:32

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.

FlabbyFlabbyBits · 18/05/2015 20:45

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

fiveacres · 18/05/2015 20:47

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! Grin

Coincidenceschmoincidence · 18/05/2015 20:49

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)

Ilovenannyplum · 18/05/2015 20:49

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 Grin

SadLesley · 19/05/2015 07:48

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' Grin

GilbertBlytheWouldGetIt · 19/05/2015 07:54

I've seen most of my older female relatives' names pop up on this thread! Grin
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!

nooka · 19/05/2015 07:56

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.

sweetpeame · 19/05/2015 07:57

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 Grin.

Ilovenannyplum · 19/05/2015 08:01

@sadlesley
Pahahaha, Yes a 'Lesley off' GrinGrin

DoNotCallYourBabyLesley · 19/05/2015 08:13

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.

WyrdByrd · 19/05/2015 08:14

Thanks SadLesley.

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

inmyshoos · 19/05/2015 11:38

Oo sorry i dont like it either.

inmyshoos · 19/05/2015 11:40

Makes me think of Les Dennis Blush

GnocchiGnocchiWhosThere · 19/05/2015 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.