Origin of Lee
This famous name recorded as Lee, Lees, Lea, Leas, Lease and Leese is of Olde English origin. It is usually locational and derives from any of the places named with the pre 7th Century element "leah". This translates as "an open place" in a forest or wood, but may describe a water meadow, the word having different meanings in different parts of the country. Examples of the place names include Lee in Buckinghamshire and Hampshire, and also Lea in Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Wiltshire. The name may also be topographical, for someone who lived at a clearing or pasture, as in the surname 'Atlee'.
The name is one of the earliest recorded (see below) and early examples include Turqod de la Lea, in the 1193 Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire, Roger de Lees of Norfolk and Richard de la Lee in the 1272 Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire, whilst Robert Leese is recorded in the Wills Register of the county of Cheshire in 1593. Examples from church registers include John Lee, who married Agnes Masset in London in 1550, and Anne Lease, a widow, who married William Sulham also in London in 1577. Sir Henry Lee (1530 - 1610) was master of the ordnance and personal champion to Queen Elizabeth from 1559 to 1590, when his son took over the position. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ailric de la Leie, which was dated circa 1148, in the "Charters of Northamptonshire", during the reign of King Stephen, known as "Count of Blois", 1135 - 1154. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Chinese surname meaning "minister" or possibly derived from the name of the ancient state of Li.
The surname Lee. Its genealogy, origins, history, and meaning.
Discovering the historical origins of Lee is an incredibly exciting journey that takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who built this lineage. Like most surnames, the history of the surname Lee is a thorny and surprising journey into the past in order to find out the origin of the surname Lee, which leads us to have more knowledge about those who bear the surname Lee, their origin, their coat of arms, the bibliography in which it appears... It is possible to trace their genealogy and, in addition to the original places of Lee, we know where it is possible to find people with the surname Lee today.
View complete list of Lee in the world
Lee: historical chronicle
The history of Lee is an interesting sequence of events that were protagonized by the people who have held the surname Lee throughout history, and it is possible to trace this history back to the first bearers of the surname Lee. Their feats, their way of life, the places they lived, their family relationships, the jobs they held... All of this is crucial for anyone who, like you, is interested in having more information about the historical, heraldic, coat of arms, and nobility of the surname Lee. In the following lines, you can find everything we have been able to compile about the surname Lee. However, if you have more information that you would like to share, we would greatly appreciate your contribution to expand the knowledge of people who, like you, are looking to increase their knowledge about the surname Lee.
Unfortunately, we do not have any more historical information about Lee than the one we have provided with pleasure. We invite those who visit us on this website to analyze the recommended bibliography and to come back often, since we often receive valuable collaborations from other people interested in the origin and history of surnames that could have information of special interest about the surname Lee, and that we would update on this website as soon as possible (after a previous verification). Similarly, if you consider yourself one of those people, we urge you to support us and send us the information about Lee that is available to you, thanking you in advance for your detail.
The most famous Lee in history
There have probably been some significant Lee throughout the history of humanity, even if, for some reason, not all of their contributions were included in the chronicles of the time or their data has not come down to the present day. Unfortunately, not all of the important contributions of people who have carried the surname Lee were taken into account at the time by the chroniclers of the time. Although a surname has the ability to link a person to a famous lineage and a glorious coat of arms, it is individuals who, throughout their lives and by virtue of some outstanding or important achievements for the society in which they lived, give their surnames renown and it is possible to establish prominent lineages. For this reason, we want to highlight on this website those people with the surname Lee who, for some reason, have left their mark on the course of history.
The surname Lee and its bibliographic sources
Based on all the research we have been able to gather so far, we can say that there is information available about the history, genealogy, and heraldry of the surname Lee thanks to bibliographic sources. This means that we can discover more about its original meaning, origin, history, coat of arms, and heraldry. Our recommendation is to consult the following sources if you want to conduct research on the surname Lee, as well as many other surnames:
Bibliographic sources for Lee
These sources are essential for taking a step forward in the study of Lee, and of surnames in general.
