Find out how popular the last name Glen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Glen.

Glen, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Glen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Glen in America

Glen is the 11302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Glen surname appeared 2,794 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Glen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Glen to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Glen

The surname Glen is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "gleann," which means a valley or dale. It is a locational surname, which suggests that the name originated from someone who resided in or near a glen or valley.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Glen can be traced back to the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands. In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England, the name "Symon del Glen" appears, indicating the presence of the surname in medieval Scotland.

The Glen surname is closely associated with the Scottish clan system, particularly the Clan Buchanan, whose traditional lands were located in the Glen of Buchanan, near Loch Lomond. Several notable figures from the Clan Buchanan bore the Glen surname, including Sir Walter Glen, a prominent 16th-century landowner and chieftain.

In the 17th century, the Glen surname spread beyond Scotland as Scottish emigrants settled in various parts of the British Isles and later in North America. One notable figure from this period was John Glen (1633-1690), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the chaplain to King Charles II.

Throughout history, there have been several individuals with the Glen surname who have achieved recognition in various fields. These include:

1. John Glen (1833-1923), a Scottish-American businessman and politician who served as the 16th Governor of South Carolina from 1893 to 1897.
2. John Glenn (1921-2016), an American aviator, astronaut, and politician who was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962 and later served as a United States Senator from Ohio.
3. Iain Glen (born 1961), a Scottish actor known for his roles in films such as "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and the television series "Game of Thrones."
4. Archie Glen (1904-1966), a Scottish professional golfer who won the British Open in 1939.
5. Lorraine Glen (born 1976), a Scottish former professional tennis player who won two Grand Slam doubles titles.

The Glen surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Scotland, such as Glenfinnan, Gleneagles, and Glen Coe, reflecting the historical connection between the name and the Scottish landscape.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Glen

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Glen.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Glen was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Glen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Glen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Glen, please contact us.

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