Lee or Leigh for a girl?

jiffy-pop · July 2011

OK so I know I've posted about my name a few times but I need opinions on one more thing. My daughter's name is going to be Anna Lee (8 letter german last name). My DH's mn is Lee. Mine is Lane which we may use for the mn of a son in the future.

My mom called the other day and asked if I was going to spell Lee the "girl way" or the "boy way." I told her I was spelling it LEE and she acted like I was crazy because I wasn't spelling it LEIGH which apparently she thinks is the "girl way."

I told her that I've seen plenty of girls spell their name Lee. In fact, there is a news lady in AL with Lee as her first name. I also told her how it has significance because it is DH's mn. Another reason is that we are going to call her by her first and middle name so Lee won't be as much to write especially since we have a long last name. So what do you think? How would you spell it considering the background info?

[Poll]

HannahO28 · July 2011

I also think of Leigh as feminine and Lee as masculine on first instinct. But I have an Aunt Lee and I think there are lots of women out there that spell it that way.

....so personally, I would change it just because I think that Leigh looks prettier. But in no way would I think it's weird for you to keep the same spelling. And your mother doesn't get an opinion, it's up to you and your husband.

Liz4444 · July 2011

Leigh is generally the feminine spelling. DH has a friend named Leigh, and whenever anyone sees it spelled, they always think he is a she.

hopedbell87 · July 2011

I was in the same situation with my DD. DH's middle name is Lee, so is his mom's, and his neice. Originally, it was suppose to be Joy, but he changed his mind. We went with Leigh, because it was more feminine. Either way, both spellings are fine for a girl. I think it would just depend on your preference.

Waiting4myJulyBaby · July 2011

I prefer Leigh but if you're doing it because it's your husband's MN then keep it as Lee. I agree with a PP that your mom doesn't get a say in it.

PMTeagle · July 2011

One of my best friend's mn is Lee. Leigh may look more girly, but Lee has a special meaning and many other girls have Lee for a mn. Go with Lee and be confident in that personal choice.

sugarpumpkin716 · July 2011

anna leigh

Ruby_Soho · July 2011

I'm going to go out on a limb and say forget Lee or Leigh as a middle name and call your daughter Annelie. Technically it's a short form of Anneliese but it's fairly popular as a full name in Scandinavian countries. An Annelie used to babysit me when I was younger and I've always thought it such a pretty name.

Since you're going to call her Anna Leigh/Lee anyway it's a good option. And not to be rude, but I've always thought of Lee as a boy's name, changing the spelling doesn't make it sound more girly.

miababy · July 2011

I would use Lee. Lee runs in my family. All the men and woman with it spell it this way. It actually runs mostly on my mom's side, but my dad's middle name is also Lee. I also had a roommate named Lee and she liked her spelling.

ZachsMomma · July 2011

I think Leigh is more feminine and it looks better next to Anna.

hilwithonelary · July 2011

I think of Leigh as exclusively feminine, but Lee as unisex. I would stick with Lee since it's your DH's MN.

JessandJeremy · July 2011

Lee

My middle name, my mom's middle name, and countless cousins have the middle name Lee after my grandfather. Our next child will have the middle name Lee regardless of gender due to the family significance.

l_elizabeth · July 2011

Leigh is my first name, so of course it gets my vote. I like really feminine girl names, so I wouldn't go with Lee.

shelbyluvschachi · July 2011

Lee, no question given the family significance. Plus, with the Anna tacked on, it is undoubtedly feminine.

kjgilhoo · July 2011

I voted "Leigh" just because I think it look nicer, but if you do use "Lee" no one will be gender confused seeing that Anna comes before.

BethPSU · July 2011

My mom and sister have the mn Lee. I think you should stick with the family spelling. Changing the spelling changes the name IMO.

Brodyrox30 · July 2011

I think of them both as unisex, but male originally. I know girls and guys who spell it both ways. A guy I worked with was a Leigh, and people used to bug him that it was a girls' name or spelled "the girl way". They weren't very enlightened people, anyhow. Ha! Because DH's mn is Lee, I would spell it Lee. Personally, I prefer Leigh, but family significance far outwieghs this.

AlphabetFish · July 2011

Since you're using it for the middle name, and it's a family name, I would say to spell it Lee.

dawnach · July 2011

My middle name is Lee and I've never thought of it as a masculine name! I agree with those who said Lee because of the family background.

HouseSpouse · July 2011

Leigh is the feminine version of the name, but I also know several girls with the spelling of Lee. FWIW, Leigh is my middle name and is constantly pronounced as "Lay". But again, as a middle name it doesn't much matter.

In my opinion, Leigh is prettier and more girly.

atack · July 2011

Best friend growing up was a girl and spelled LEE. I also knew two boys growing up with the name LEE and another girl with LEIGH. I think mainly due to the significance of the spelling you should stick with LEE. It's a middle name for goodness sake therefore it's not like people will read Anna Lee/Leigh and wonder is this a boy or girl.

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