Glena
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "valley" or "glen".
Name Census estimates that about 402 living Americans carry the first name Glena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Glena today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Glena births was 1950 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Glena. 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 Glena is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Glenas were born before 1966.
People living today
402
~ 1 in 852,623 Americans
Peak year
1950
31 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1992 SSA rank
#14,032
Tracked since 1898
Popularity
Glena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Glena from the 1890s through to the 1990s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 209 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Glena 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 Glena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Glenas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, Kentucky, Arkansas recorded the most babies named Glena, while Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Glena
The given name Glena is of Gaelic origin, with roots dating back to the early medieval period in Scotland and Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "glinn," which means "valley" or "glen." The name was likely given to children born or residing in scenic valleys or glens.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glena can be found in the annals of the Scottish Highlands from the 12th century. It was often used as a variation of the more common name Glenn or Glenna, which were popular among Celtic families in the region.
In ancient Celtic mythology, glens and valleys were considered sacred spaces, and it's possible that the name Glena was initially bestowed upon children as a way to honor the natural beauty and spiritual significance of these landscapes.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Glena was Glena MacGregor, a 16th-century Scottish noblewoman from the Clan Gregor. She was known for her fierce loyalty to her clan and her active role in the ongoing conflicts between the Macgregors and the Campbells.
Another prominent individual was Glena O'Sullivan, an Irish chieftain's daughter from the 17th century. She played a pivotal role in the Irish Confederate Wars, rallying support for the Catholic cause and providing refuge to soldiers and refugees.
In the realm of literature, Glena Macpherson was a 19th-century Scottish poet and author, renowned for her evocative descriptions of the Highlands and her advocacy for the preservation of Gaelic language and culture.
The name Glena also found its way into religious texts, with Glena of Kildare being a revered 6th-century Irish nun and abbess who founded several monasteries and was renowned for her piety and wisdom.
Lastly, Glena Colquhoun was a 20th-century Scottish artist and illustrator, known for her vibrant depictions of the Scottish landscape and her contributions to the Art Nouveau movement.
People
Glena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Glena 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
Glena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Glena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 402 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Glena 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 852,623 US residents.
Is Glena a common name?
We classify Glena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,078 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Glena most popular?
The single biggest year for Glena was 1950, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Glena is about 70 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Glena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Glena 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.
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.