Where I'm from (US South),
Leigh is the female spelling and I don't view it as tacky at all. It's just dated. Having said that, it's still nice. I know quite a few people with
Lee /
Leigh as their mn -- including family.
Re: spelling, I prefer
Leigh for a female and I find this slightly more complex and appealing.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." --
Martin Luther King, Jr.