Les
A diminutive of the male given names Lester and Leslie.
Every Les since 1900 — 3,480 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Les
Les is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #7,472 in 2025 with 11 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1900, 3,480 American babies have been named Les. Its peak came in 1961, when 188 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1960s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Les stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Les year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 11 | #7,472 |
| 2024 | — | — | 5 | #13,444 |
| 2023 | — | — | 6 | #11,685 |
| 2022 | — | — | 8 | #9,507 |
| 2021 | — | — | 5 | #13,305 |
| 2020 | — | — | 10 | #7,857 |
| 2019 | — | — | 12 | #7,017 |
| 2018 | — | — | 8 | #9,314 |
| 2017 | — | — | 12 | #6,943 |
| 2016 | — | — | 14 | #6,217 |
| 2015 | — | — | 10 | #7,827 |
| 2014 | — | — | 8 | #9,290 |
| 2013 | — | — | 7 | #10,304 |
| 2012 | — | — | 5 | #13,430 |
| 2011 | — | — | 11 | #7,307 |
| 2010 | — | — | 8 | #9,335 |
| 2009 | — | — | 10 | #8,066 |
| 2008 | — | — | 9 | #8,730 |
| 2007 | — | — | 7 | #10,447 |
| 2006 | — | — | 7 | #10,215 |
| 2005 | — | — | 5 | #12,577 |
| 2004 | — | — | 7 | #9,547 |
| 2003 | — | — | 7 | #9,249 |
| 2002 | — | — | — | — |
| 2001 | — | — | 5 | #11,627 |
| 2000 | — | — | 13 | #5,473 |
| 1995 | — | — | 11 | #5,369 |
| 1990 | — | — | 12 | #4,566 |
| 1985 | — | — | 22 | #2,399 |
| 1980 | — | — | 21 | #2,413 |
| 1975 | — | — | 25 | #1,921 |
| 1970 | — | — | 54 | #1,125 |
| 1965 | — | — | 92 | #768 |
| 1960 | — | — | 172 | #600 |
| 1955 | 5 | #6,323 | 59 | #980 |
| 1950 | — | — | 28 | #1,381 |
| 1945 | — | — | 50 | #907 |
| 1940 | — | — | 37 | #1,085 |
| 1935 | — | — | 16 | #1,799 |
| 1930 | — | — | 11 | #2,542 |
| 1925 | — | — | 7 | #3,592 |
| 1920 | — | — | 9 | #3,094 |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | 5 | #1,418 |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Les
- Les Paul Inventor · 1915–2009
- Les Clark Religious figure · 1907–1979
- Les Ferdinand Soccer player · b. 1966
- Les Baxter Musician · 1922–1996
- Les Murray Writer · 1938–2019
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Les mean?
A diminutive of the male given names Lester and Leslie.
How popular is the name Les in 2025?
Les ranked #7,472 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 11 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Les?
3,480 babies have been named Les in the United States since 1900, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Les most popular?
Les peaked in 1961, when 188 newborns received the name.
Is Les a boy or girl name?
Les is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Les rising or falling?
Les has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Les?
Well-known people named Les include Les Paul (inventor), Les Clark (religious figure), Les Ferdinand (soccer player).