Glyde
One that glides or moves smoothly.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Glyde. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Glyde today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Glyde births was 1918 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Glyde. 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 Glyde. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1918
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1918 SSA rank
#4,422
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Glyde: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Glyde 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 Glyde during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Glyde
The name Glyde has its origins in Old English and is derived from the word "glida," which means "to glide" or "to move smoothly." This name likely emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, between the 5th and 11th centuries.
Historically, the name Glyde was often associated with those who lived near rivers or bodies of water, as the name evoked the idea of gliding or moving effortlessly across the water's surface. It may have been used as a descriptive name for individuals who excelled at rowing or sailing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glyde can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the great survey of England commissioned in 1086 by William the Conqueror. In this text, a landowner named Glyde is mentioned as holding land in the county of Lincolnshire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Glyde appeared sporadically in various historical records and documents. One notable figure was Glyde de Montfort, a 13th-century knight who fought alongside Simon de Montfort during the Second Barons' War against King Henry III.
In the 16th century, Glyde Waterton was an English explorer and navigator who accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh on his expeditions to the Americas. Waterton's journals and writings provide valuable insights into the early exploration of the New World.
During the 17th century, Glyde Lambe was a renowned English architect and stonemason who worked on several notable buildings, including the reconstruction of St. Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
In the 19th century, Glyde Philpot was a British artist and portrait painter who gained recognition for his depictions of aristocratic and upper-class society. His portraits of notable figures, such as Queen Victoria, are part of the Royal Collection.
While the name Glyde may not be as common today as it once was, it has a rich history and evokes a sense of grace and fluidity. Its Old English roots and associations with water and movement make it a unique and intriguing name choice.
People
Glyde + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Glyde 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
Glyde: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Glyde?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Glyde 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 - US residents.
Is Glyde a common name?
We classify Glyde as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% 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 Glyde most popular?
The single biggest year for Glyde was 1918, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Glyde is about 0 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 Glyde in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Glyde a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Glyde 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 Glyde still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Glyde 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 Glyde 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 Glyde?
Find out how many people share the name Glyde on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.