by Pamela Redmond Satran

　　Girls’ names that end in the lee sound – from Ellie to Lily to Natalie to Riley and Everly – have been growing in popularity in recent years. In fact, sometimes it seems as if almost any girls’ name that ends in ly or ley or lie or leigh zooms to the top of the list.

　　But what if you love the appealing lee ending but want a name that’s more unusual? We’ve rounded up 30 fresh girls’ names of the three major lee types for you to consider, namely:

　　NICKNAME NAMES

　　Nickname names for girls that end in (usually) lie or ly are among the most popular of the lee names. Among the trendiest picks of recent years: Ellie, Charlie, Callie, Kylie, Lily, and Molly. If this is your style but you want something more unique, consider:

　　Billie

　　Dolly

　　Lally/Lolly

　　Millie

　　Neely

　　Nellie

　　Polly

　　Sally

　　Tally

　　Tillie

　　EXOTIC NAMES

　　There aren’t as many trendy lee-ending girls’ names in this category as in the two others, but if you love ladylike, Eurostyle names such as Natalie, Rosalie, and Amelie, then you might want to consider these more unusual but still lovely names for girls:

　　Aracely

　　Aurelie

　　Cecily/Cicely

　　Celie

　　Coralie

　　Eulalie

　　Maile

　　Ottilie

　　Romilly

　　Thessaly

　　SURNAME NAMES

　　Surname names ending in ley or sometimes leigh have risen precipitously for girls in recent years: We’re thinking of such popular choices as Hadley, Riley, Bailey, Presley, Finley, and McKinley. If you love the unisex surname style name but want something more distinctive for your baby girl, consider the following:

　　Bradley

　　Hartley

　　Henley

　　Langley

　　Oakley

　　Raleigh

　　Ripley

　　Tully

　　Wiley/Wylie

　　Yardley

　　Which of the lee-ending names is your favorite?