Paislei

Meaning & origin

Paislei is a modern invented name that first appeared on the U.S. naming charts in 2009, reflecting the early-2000s trend of names ending in the trendy 'lei' sound. It reached its peak popularity in 2018, but has been falling in use since 2019, as of 2025 it ranked 10,917th with roughly 1 in 200,908 newborn girls receiving the name. Paislei is a respelling of the more established name Paisley, which itself draws from a Scottish surname and the town of Paisley, known for its distinctive patterned fabric. The name is firmly feminine, with no recorded use for boys. While never common, Paislei's rise and fall mirrors the pattern of similar invented names of its era. No states recorded a notable concentration of the name, as its rarity keeps it widely scattered.

Paislei is a modern coinage, first recorded in the United States in 2009. It appears to be a respelling or elaboration of the name Paisley, which itself is derived from a Scottish surname meaning 'church, basilica' (from Old French 'basilique' or Latin 'basilica'), or from the Scottish town Paisley. The popularity of names like Paisley and similar -lei/ley endings in the 2000s likely influenced the formation of Paislei, which remains rare.