Lei
/L-EY/
Flower bud, the unopened blossom — from Chinese 蕾 (lěi, "bud"). Lei names a child as the family's tender beginning, the flower in the moment before it opens. A unisex name in modern Chinese practice, used for both daughters and sons, carrying the classical Chinese aesthetic of potential about to bloom.
Get Lei's full report — meaning, heritage & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Buddhist parent asks about Lei:
How well does Lei fit your family?
This page tells you what Lei means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
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Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Lei is a Buddhist unisex name of Chinese origin, meaning “Flower bud, the unopened blossom — from Chinese 蕾 (lěi, "bud"). Lei names a child as the family's tender beginning, the flower in the moment before it opens. A unisex name in modern Chinese practice, used for both daughters and sons, carrying the classical Chinese aesthetic of potential about to bloom.”.
Lei is a unisex's name of Chinese origin, traditionally used in Buddhist families. The name means "Flower bud, the unopened blossom — from Chinese 蕾 (lěi, "bud"). Lei names a child as the family's tender beginning, the flower in the moment before it opens. A unisex name in modern Chinese practice, used for both daughters and sons, carrying the classical Chinese aesthetic of potential about to bloom." and belongs to the Nature cluster — names drawn from the natural world — earth, water, sky.
Common among Chinese, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Malaysian-Chinese, American-Chinese families, Lei carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Lei in the Buddhist tradition
Buddhist names often carry a virtue to aspire to — peace, wisdom, compassion. Lei means “Flower bud, the unopened blossom — from Chinese 蕾 (lěi, "bud"). Lei names a child as the family's tender beginning, the flower in the moment before it opens. A unisex name in modern Chinese practice, used for both daughters and sons, carrying the classical Chinese aesthetic of potential about to bloom.”, with Chinese roots.
NameRoot shows the meaning. See the full meaning and heritage of Lei, and how it scores for your family.
See Lei's full reading →What does Lei's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Lei resonates in either tradition.
Lei's destiny number is 8 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Lei's full reading →
Does Lei go with your family's names?
Lei breaks into 2 sounds: /L-EY/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Lei sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Lei beside your family's names →
Names similar to Lei
If Lei resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Buddhist unisex names, common in Chinese families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Buddhist unisex names from the Nature cluster
Names that sound similar
Buddhist unisex names that open with the same syllables as Lei
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Lei — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Lei
What does the name Lei mean?
Lei means "Flower bud, the unopened blossom — from Chinese 蕾 (lěi, "bud"). Lei names a child as the family's tender beginning, the flower in the moment before it opens. A unisex name in modern Chinese practice, used for both daughters and sons, carrying the classical Chinese aesthetic of potential about to bloom.." It is a unisex name of Chinese origin, traditionally used in Buddhist families.
Is Lei a boy or girl name?
Lei is a unisex name, used for any gender.
What is the origin of the name Lei?
Lei is of Chinese origin, used in Buddhist tradition, commonly among Chinese, Taiwanese, Singaporean families.
Is Lei a Buddhist name?
Yes. Lei is a unisex name traditionally used in Buddhist families, of Chinese origin.
What does Lei mean in Chinese?
Lei originates from Chinese, where it means "Flower bud, the unopened blossom — from Chinese 蕾 (lěi, "bud"). Lei names a child as the family's tender beginning, the flower in the moment before it opens. A unisex name in modern Chinese practice, used for both daughters and sons, carrying the classical Chinese aesthetic of potential about to bloom.."
What is the numerology of Lei?
Lei has a Pythagorean destiny number of 8 — material mastery and executive power.
See how Lei scores for your family
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