Glenne
A masculine name of Scottish origin derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "gleann" meaning "valley".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Glenne. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Glenne today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Glenne births was 1990 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Glenne. 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 Glenne. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1990
5 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1990 SSA rank
#13,727
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Glenne: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Glenne 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 Glenne during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Glenne
The name Glenne is a variant of the Scottish name Glenn, which is derived from the Gaelic word "gleann," meaning "valley." It has its roots in the ancient Celtic language spoken by the people of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands region.
This name likely originated during the early medieval period, when the highlands of Scotland were populated by various clans and tribes. It may have been used to describe someone who lived in or was associated with a particular valley or glen.
In ancient Celtic mythology, glens and valleys were often seen as sacred places, associated with nature spirits and deities. The name Glenne could have been given to individuals as a connection to these spiritual beliefs or as a way to honor the natural beauty of the Scottish landscape.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glenne can be found in the Scottish Clan Donald, where it was used as a personal name and surname. Clan Donald was one of the largest and most powerful clans in the Western Isles of Scotland during the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Glenne. One such individual was Glenne Headly (1955-2017), an American actress known for her roles in films like "Dick Tracy" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."
Another notable Glenne was Glenne Leman Gaye (1905-1992), a French-born American artist and sculptor. She was renowned for her intricate metal sculptures and was a prominent figure in the art scene of mid-20th century New York.
In the literary world, Glenne Fowler Headly (1872-1960) was an American writer and poet. She published several collections of poetry and was a member of the Poetry Society of America.
Moving to the realm of sports, Glenne Earl (born 1965) was a professional basketball player from the United States. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for several teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Lastly, Glenne A. Hudson (1937-2014) was an American educator and civil rights activist. She worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for minority students and was a prominent figure in the desegregation of schools in the Southern United States.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Glenne
People
Glenne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Glenne 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
Glenne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Glenne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Glenne 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Glenne a common name?
We classify Glenne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Glenne most popular?
The single biggest year for Glenne was 1990, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Glenne is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Glenne a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Glenne 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.