Glema
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of names.
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Glema. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Glema today is around 81 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Glema births was 1923 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Glema. 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
- • The typical person named Glema is about 81 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Glemas were born before 1955.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Glema. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1923
12 babies that year
Average age
81
years old
1953 SSA rank
#4,364
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Glema: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Glema from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 70 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Glema 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 Glema during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Glemas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Glema
The given name Glema has its origins in the ancient Aramaic language, which was widely spoken throughout the Middle East and parts of the Mediterranean region during the Iron Age and the Persian period, around the 6th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Aramaic root word "glm," which means "to complete" or "to fulfill."
Glema was a relatively uncommon name in ancient times, but it did find some use among certain Aramaic-speaking communities in regions like Syria, Lebanon, and parts of modern-day Iraq. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 5th century BCE, although it likely existed earlier in oral traditions.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name Glema was a scribe and scholar who lived in the city of Palmyra (modern-day Syria) during the 3rd century CE. This Glema was known for his extensive knowledge of Aramaic literature and his contributions to preserving ancient texts.
In the 6th century CE, there was a notable figure named Glema who served as a high-ranking official in the Sassanid Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day Iran, Iraq, and the Caucasus region. This Glema was recognized for his administrative skills and his role in overseeing the construction of several significant buildings and infrastructure projects.
Another notable bearer of the name Glema was a prominent physician who lived in the city of Edessa (modern-day Şanlıurfa, Turkey) during the 7th century CE. This Glema was renowned for his expertise in medical practices and his contributions to the development of early medical knowledge in the region.
In the 9th century CE, there was a Glema who was a renowned poet and scholar in the city of Baghdad, which was a major center of learning and culture during the Islamic Golden Age. This Glema's works were widely celebrated for their linguistic artistry and philosophical depth.
Beyond these examples, the name Glema continued to be used sporadically throughout various regions and time periods, though it remained relatively uncommon compared to other names of Aramaic or Semitic origin.
People
Glema + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Glema 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
Glema: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Glema?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Glema 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 10,711,073 US residents.
Is Glema a common name?
We classify Glema as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 169 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Glema most popular?
The single biggest year for Glema was 1923, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Glema is about 81 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 Glema in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Glema a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Glema in the SSA data are female. 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 Glema still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Glema 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 Glema 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 Glema?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.