Glacier
A natural formation of dense ice and compacted snow flowing very slowly downhill.
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Glacier. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 62.5% of registrations being male. The average person named Glacier today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Glacier births was 2021 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Glacier. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Glacier. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
2021
6 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,000
Tracked since 2020
Gender
Gender distribution for Glacier
Glacier is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 16 total registrations, 10 (62.5%) were male and 6 (37.5%) were female.
Glacier as a male name
- Ranked #13,000 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 2020 (5 births)
Glacier as a female name
- Ranked #14,082 in 2021
- 6 female births in 2021
- Peak: 2021 (6 births)
Popularity
Glacier: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Glacier by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Glacier during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 10 | 6 | 16 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Glacier
The name Glacier is a relatively modern name, coined in the 19th century. It derives from the French word "glacier", which means a vast body of ice slowly flowing over a land mass. The term "glacier" itself comes from the French word "glace", meaning ice, which has its roots in the Latin word "glacies", also meaning ice.
The name Glacier was likely inspired by the awe-inspiring natural phenomena of glaciers, which were being studied and explored more extensively during the 19th century. As a name, it evokes a sense of grandeur, power, and the majesty of nature.
While there are no known historical figures or ancient texts that directly reference the name Glacier, its association with the natural world and the study of glaciers has led to its use as a name for various individuals over the past two centuries.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Glacier was for Glacier Potvin, a Canadian ice hockey player who was born in 1884. Another notable figure was Glacier Deldycke, a French explorer and mountaineer who was active in the early 20th century and made significant contributions to the study of glaciers in the Alps.
In the United States, Glacier Bancroft (1892-1976) was a prominent geologist and glaciologist who conducted extensive research on glaciers in Alaska and other regions. His work played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of glacial dynamics and their impact on the environment.
Glacier Sverdrup (1917-2001) was a Norwegian-American meteorologist and oceanographer who made significant contributions to the study of Arctic climate and sea ice dynamics. His research focused on the interactions between glaciers, sea ice, and the ocean, providing valuable insights into the effects of climate change.
More recently, Glacier Kwong (born 1985) is a Hong Kong-based artist and activist known for her environmental installations and performances that draw attention to the impacts of climate change and the melting of glaciers.
These individuals, spanning different fields and time periods, share a connection to the awe-inspiring natural phenomena of glaciers, which the name Glacier so aptly represents.
People
Glacier + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Glacier as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Glacier: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Glacier?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Glacier going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Glacier a common name?
We classify Glacier as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Glacier most popular?
The single biggest year for Glacier was 2021, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Glacier is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Glacier in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Glacier a male name?
Yes, 62.5% of people registered as Glacier in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Glacier still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Glacier in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Glacier can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Glacier?
You can see how many Americans are named Glacier on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.