Jeffrey Patrick "Jeff" Kinney is an American game designer and author of children's books, including the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. He is also known for creating the children-oriented website Poptropica.

Kinney works full-time as a writer and designer of online games. He grew up in Fort Washington, Maryland, and attended the University of Maryland at College Park in the early 1990s. During his college years, Kinney created the popular comic strip Igdoof for the campus newspaper, The Diamondback, which marked the beginning of his journey as a cartoonist.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has sold over 42 million copies worldwide as of 2010 and was developed into a feature film. In addition to writing, Kinney has also served as an executive producer. As of now, five Wimpy Kid books have been released, along with a do-it-yourself book and a movie diary.

In 2009, Jeff Kinney was named one of Time magazine's 100 "Most Influential People" in the world. He attended Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland, and currently resides in Plainville, Massachusetts with his wife, Julie Kinney, and their two sons, Will and Grant.