Les

Scottish

"garden of holly"

Les Origin and Meaning

The name Les is a boy's name.

Les is a masculine name that functions both as a standalone name and a familiar shortening of longer names like Lester, Leslie, or Leszek. Compact and straightforward, it carries a no-nonsense quality that has appealed to parents for generations. In English-speaking countries, Les reached its peak popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly in Britain, Australia, and North America. The name has working-class associations in some regions, often conjuring images of reliability and straightforwardness. In Eastern European contexts, particularly Polish communities, Les may derive from Leszek, giving it different cultural connotations. The name's brevity gives it a distinct, unpretentious character.

Les Rank in US Top 1000

# 913 in the US

Famous People Named Les

• Les Blank American documentary filmmaker
• Lester Raymond "Les" Brown American clarinetist and bandleader
• Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool American bassist of band Primus
• Lester John Thomas "Les" Costello Canadian ice hockey player and priest
• Les Paul (born Lester William Polsfuss) American guitarist and luthier
• Leslie "Les" Dawson English comedian
• Les Stroud American musician, filmmaker and TV personality of "Survivorman"
• Lester "Les" Tremayne Anglo,American actor
• Les Abend American pilot and aviation analyst

The name Les in Pop Culture

• Les Anderson lead character from movie "Licence to Drive"
• Les Moore character in comic strip "Funky Winkerbean"
• Les Erskine character in "The Thing" series
• Les Jacobs character in film and musical "Newsies"
• Leslie Nelson "Les" Battersby Brown, character on British soap "Coronation Street"