Glenola
A feminine name of Scottish origin meaning "valley of the hazelnut trees".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Glenola. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Glenola today is around 97 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Glenola births was 1917 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Glenola. 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 Glenola is about 97 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Glenolas were born before 1939.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Glenola. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1917
12 babies that year
Average age
97
years old
1942 SSA rank
#4,900
Tracked since 1905
Popularity
Glenola: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Glenola from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 83 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
Glenola 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 Glenola during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Glenola
The name Glenola has its origins in the Gaelic language, derived from the combination of the words "glen," meaning a narrow valley, and "ola," meaning a woolen cloth or blanket. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific geographical location, perhaps a valley where the production of woolen textiles was a significant industry.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Glenola can be traced back to the 16th century in Scotland and Ireland. During this period, the name was predominantly used within rural communities with strong ties to the wool trade and textile production.
One of the earliest known references to the name Glenola can be found in the historical records of the Clan MacGregor, a prominent Highland Scottish clan. In 1592, a woman named Glenola MacGregor was documented as having played a significant role in the clan's resistance against the oppressive policies of King James VI of Scotland.
Another notable figure bearing the name Glenola was a 17th-century Irish poet and storyteller from County Donegal. While her exact birth and death dates are unknown, her poetic works, which celebrated the natural beauty of the Irish landscape and the resilience of the local people, were widely circulated and admired during her lifetime.
In the late 18th century, a woman named Glenola McPherson (1762-1841) gained recognition as a skilled weaver and entrepreneur in the Scottish Highlands. She established a successful weaving business and was instrumental in preserving traditional Scottish weaving techniques and designs.
The name Glenola also appears in historical records from the American colonial period. Glenola Buchanan (1732-1809) was a pioneering settler in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, known for her bravery and resourcefulness in navigating the challenges of frontier life.
During the early 20th century, Glenola Whitcomb (1903-1987) made a name for herself as a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights in New England. She served as the president of a prestigious women's college and was a vocal proponent of equal educational opportunities for women.
While the name Glenola is relatively uncommon today, its historical roots and associations with the textile industry, rural communities, and the natural landscapes of Scotland and Ireland make it a unique and evocative name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Glenola + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Glenola 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
Glenola: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Glenola?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Glenola 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Glenola a common name?
We classify Glenola as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 188 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Glenola most popular?
The single biggest year for Glenola was 1917, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Glenola is about 97 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 Glenola in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Glenola a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Glenola 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 Glenola still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Glenola 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 Glenola 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 are named Glenola?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.