How Many People Are Named Less?
An estimated 37 people in the United States have the first name Less. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 82 years old, and Less peaked in popularity in 1923 with 14 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Less as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Less paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 82, Less is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1954.
- Less is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
37
About 1 in 9,263,631 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
100.0% confidence
Average Age
82
years old
Peak Year
1923
14 births
Total Registered
281
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Less
Less is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 281 total births registered, 100.0% were male.
Less as a male name
Ranked #3,430 in 1957
7 male births in 1957
Peak: 1923 (14 births)
Less in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 193 people with the first name Less, which placed it at #39,261 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Less was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 193 people with this name in that snapshot, 82.4% were male and 17.6% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 100.0% male.
Census Count
193
people with this name
Census Rank
#39,261
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.06
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Less was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (58.03%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (28.50%) and Hispanic (6.22%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Less in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Less.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 58.03% | 112 |
| Black | 28.50% | 55 |
| Hispanic | 6.22% | 12 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 4.15% | 8 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.55% | 3 |
| Two or More Races | 1.55% | 3 |
Less: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Less span from the 1880s to the 1950s, covering 8 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1910s, when 75 babies were registered. Less has declined significantly from its peak in the 1910s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Less by Decade
How has Less tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Less + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Less as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Less
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
Less: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Less?
We estimate approximately 37 people named Less are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 9,263,631 Americans share this first name.
Is Less a common name?
Less is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 49.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 281 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Less most popular?
Less reached peak popularity in 1923, when 14 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Less is approximately 82 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Less in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 193 people with the first name Less. That placed it at #39,261 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.06 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Less was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Less?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Less was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 82.4% male and 17.6% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Less?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Less was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (58.03%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (28.50%) and Hispanic (6.22%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Less a male name?
Less is predominantly male. 100.0% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Less have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Less peaked in 1923, and the average living bearer is about 82 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Less Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Less Smith, Less Johnson, Less Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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