Glenn first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Glenn has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Glenn

Scottish surname transferred to a masculine given name of Celtic origin meaning "valley".

Popularity of Glenn by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Glenn is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Glenn being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 109 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Glenn.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 109 0
2022 126 0
2021 125 0
2020 123 0
2019 127 0
2018 150 0
2017 142 0
2016 173 0
2015 165 0
2014 161 0
2013 163 0
2012 181 0
2011 163 0
2010 189 0
2009 175 0
2008 246 0
2007 260 0
2006 237 0
2005 261 0
2004 296 0
2003 296 0
2002 321 0
2001 302 5
2000 335 0
1999 397 12
1998 440 0
1997 461 11
1996 483 12
1995 529 9
1994 553 9
1993 653 17
1992 696 11
1991 843 12
1990 852 14
1989 912 18
1988 925 11
1987 988 10
1986 982 14
1985 1,004 20
1984 1,023 5
1983 1,016 11
1982 1,088 8
1981 1,107 8
1980 1,144 11
1979 1,117 10
1978 1,121 7
1977 1,245 11
1976 1,318 6
1975 1,385 14
1974 1,543 20

The history of the first name Glenn

The name Glenn has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, deriving from the Gaelic word "gleann," which translates to "valley" or "glen." It is believed to have emerged as a surname in Scotland during the Middle Ages, referring to someone who lived in or near a valley or glen.

The earliest recorded use of Glenn as a given name dates back to the late 16th century in Scotland. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Glenn Telfer, a Scottish poet who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 17th century, the name gained popularity in Ireland, where it was often anglicized as "Glenn" from the Irish Gaelic version "Gleann." One notable figure from this period was Glenn Lough, an Irish poet and historian who lived in the late 17th century.

As the name spread to other parts of the world, it became associated with various individuals of note. In the 18th century, Glenn Scobie was a Scottish artist known for his landscape paintings depicting the glens and valleys of Scotland.

In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Glenn Cunningham (1909-1988), an American athlete who overcame numerous physical challenges to become a world-renowned distance runner and Olympic medalist.

Another prominent figure bearing the name Glenn was John Glenn (1921-2016), an American aviator, astronaut, and United States Senator. He was the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft in 1962, and later became the oldest person to travel in space at the age of 77.

Throughout history, the name Glenn has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, athletes, and explorers, all connected by the name's roots in the Scottish Gaelic word for "valley" or "glen."

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Glenn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Glenn, please contact us.

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"Glenn first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/glenn-meaning-and-history/.

"Glenn first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/glenn-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Glenn first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/glenn-meaning-and-history/.

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