Les is a unisex given name of French origin, meaning 'the'. It gained popularity as a given name in the late 20th century due to its use as a nickname for Leslie and other names beginning with 'Le'. Les is also used as a short form of Leslie and Leonard among others.
"The name Les had a consistent popularity with 5 births each in 1954 and 1955, then saw a spike in 1958 with 11 births. After that, the number of babies named Les fluctuated between 5 and 6 until 1961, totaling 32 births over these years."