Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, Leno was chosen in 1992 to replace Johnny Carson as the host of NBC's The Tonight Show; Leno hosted The Tonight Show until September 2009 when Conan O'Brien took over as host and Leno started a primetime talk show, The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m.
Meaning & Origin of Leno
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
James Douglas Muir Leno is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, Leno was chosen in 1992 to replace Johnny Carson as the host of NBC's The Tonight Show; Leno hosted The Tonight Show until September 2009 when Conan O'Brien took over as host and Leno started a primetime talk show, The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Leno
Leno first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1909, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 29 Lenos were born — ranking #1,390 that year. As of 2026, Leno ranks #12,301 for baby boys with 5 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 651 Lenos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Leno
Phonetically similar names — useful when Leno is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Leno
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About the name Leno
Leno is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 651 births in the dataset. Leno's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #1,390. Use the chart and map above to compare Leno's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.