Glorious
A feminine name representing magnificence, splendor, and exaltation.
Name Census estimates that about 180 living Americans carry the first name Glorious. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Glorious today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Glorious births was 1948 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Glorious. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Glorious with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
180
~ 1 in 1,904,191 Americans
Peak year
1948
15 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,577
Tracked since 1925
Census
Glorious in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 327 people with the first name Glorious, which placed it at #27,781 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#27,781
National first-name rank
People counted
327
327 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
75.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glorious
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Glorious is Black at 75.5%. The next largest groups are White (10.1%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Glorious described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Glorious at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American75.5% · 247
- White10.1% · 33
- Two or more races5.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.9% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
Popularity
Glorious: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Glorious from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 93 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Glorious 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 Glorious 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 Glorious
The name Glorious has its roots in the Latin language, originating from the word "gloriosus," which means "full of glory" or "illustrious." This name first emerged during the Roman era, when the concept of glory and honor held great significance in both military and political spheres.
One of the earliest known references to the name Glorious can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who documented the exploits of several Roman generals and leaders who were described as "gloriosus" for their remarkable achievements on the battlefield or in governance.
During the Middle Ages, the name Glorious gained popularity in various Christian contexts, particularly within monastic and ecclesiastical circles. It was often used as a descriptor for saints, martyrs, and other religious figures who were revered for their unwavering faith and devotion to the Christian cause.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Glorious of Münstereifel, a German monk and writer, became widely recognized for his writings on mysticism and spirituality. His works, such as the "Revelations of Glorious," played a significant role in shaping the intellectual and religious landscape of his time.
Another historical figure who bore the name Glorious was Glorious of Bourges, a French bishop who lived in the 5th century. He is remembered for his efforts in spreading Christianity throughout the region and for his role in establishing the Cathedral of Bourges, which remains an architectural marvel to this day.
In the realm of literature, the name Glorious has been used by several authors throughout history, including the 17th-century English poet and playwright John Dryden. His work, "The Indian Emperour," features a character named Glorious, who represents the ideals of honor and bravery.
Additionally, the name Glorious has been associated with various military leaders and commanders throughout history, such as Glorious Atilius Regulus, a Roman consul and general who lived during the First Punic War. His unwavering courage and sacrifice in the face of adversity earned him the epithet "Glorious."
While the name Glorious may not be as common in modern times, its historical significance and connotations of honor, valor, and reverence continue to resonate across cultures and societies.
People
Glorious + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Glorious 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
Glorious: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Glorious?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 180 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Glorious 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 1,904,191 US residents.
Is Glorious a common name?
We classify Glorious as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 320 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Glorious most popular?
The single biggest year for Glorious was 1948, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Glorious is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Glorious in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 327 people with the name Glorious, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #27,781 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Glorious in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Glorious?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Glorious leans strongly female. 299 people counted with this name were female (88.7%), compared with 38 male bearers (11.3%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Glorious?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Glorious is Black at 75.5%. The next largest groups are White (10.1%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Glorious most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Glorious in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.5% (247 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Glorious in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Glorious a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Glorious 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 Glorious still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Glorious 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 Glorious 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.
How many people share the name Glorious?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.