<P> Lee is a common surname in English - speaking countries . </P> <P> In the United States during the year 2000 census, "Lee" was the 22nd-most - common surname; although this conflates a number of unrelated surnames with the same spelling (see below). </P> <P> There are several distinct origins of the Lee surname . The most common is derived from Old English lēah, meaning a meadow or forest clearing . </P> <P> This developed variously into the surnames Lee, Lea, and Leigh . The Lees of Shropshire were notable as the forebears of the colonial American Lee family which produced Richard Henry Lee, Robert E. Lee, and Zachary Taylor . </P>

Where does the last name lee come from
find me the text answering this question