Gloyd
A masculine name derived from the Old English words "glōd" meaning "bright" and "hȳd" meaning "hide" or "skin".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Gloyd. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gloyd today is around 91 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gloyd births was 1919 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gloyd. 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 Gloyd is about 91 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gloyds were born before 1945.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gloyd. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1919
8 babies that year
Average age
91
years old
1947 SSA rank
#3,944
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Gloyd: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gloyd from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 36 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
Gloyd 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 Gloyd 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 Gloyd
The name Gloyd is thought to have originated from the Old English word "glōd," which means "glowing ember" or "brilliant light." This name likely emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th century.
While the name Gloyd itself is not found in any ancient texts or historical records from that era, it is believed to be a variation of the Old English name "Glēad," which shares the same root meaning. The transition from "Glēad" to "Gloyd" may have occurred due to regional dialects and variations in pronunciation over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gloyd can be traced back to a Norwegian sailor named Gloyd Eriksson, who was part of the crew that accompanied Leif Eriksson on his voyage to North America around the year 1000 CE. Eriksson's name is mentioned in the Icelandic Sagas, which provide accounts of the Norse explorations of the Americas.
In the 12th century, a Benedictine monk named Gloyd of Malmesbury (c. 1095 - 1163) gained recognition for his writings on English history and his chronicle of the deeds of the Norman kings of England. His work, "Gesta Regum Anglorum" (Deeds of the English Kings), is considered an important source for the study of the Norman Conquest and the early Plantagenet dynasty.
During the 14th century, a French nobleman named Gloyd de Montfort (c. 1320 - 1385) played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was a skilled military commander who fought alongside the English forces and was known for his bravery on the battlefield.
In the 16th century, a German artist named Gloyd Hölbein (c. 1497 - 1543) gained fame for his portrait paintings of prominent figures of the English Renaissance, including King Henry VIII and his wives. Hölbein's works are renowned for their intricate details and lifelike depictions of his subjects.
Another notable figure with the name Gloyd was Gloyd Milburn (1784 - 1867), an English inventor and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines. His innovations in steam power played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution and helped pave the way for modern transportation and manufacturing.
People
Gloyd + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gloyd 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
Gloyd: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gloyd?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gloyd 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Gloyd a common name?
We classify Gloyd as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 77 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gloyd most popular?
The single biggest year for Gloyd was 1919, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gloyd is about 91 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 Gloyd in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gloyd a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gloyd in the SSA data are male. 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 Gloyd still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gloyd 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 Gloyd 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 Americans are named Gloyd?
See how many Americans are named Gloyd on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.