2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Glennen
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gloinne referring to someone from a valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Glennen. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glennen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Glennen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glennen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glennen
The surname Glennen is believed to have originated in Scotland, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic term "gleannan," which translates to "small valley" or "glen." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or near a small valley or glen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glennen can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, a historical record of financial transactions and accounts, dating back to the late 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Glennen," "Glennane," and "Glennon," indicating the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.
In the 16th century, the Glennen surname appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a significant historical document containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296. This record provides insight into the early presence of the Glennen family in Scotland.
Notable individuals bearing the Glennen surname throughout history include:
1. William Glennen (c. 1520-1590), a Scottish landowner and businessman who played a role in the Scottish Reformation.
2. Elizabeth Glennen (1625-1692), a Scottish writer and poet known for her lyrical works.
3. John Glennen (1755-1829), a Scottish explorer and cartographer who contributed to the mapping of the Scottish Highlands.
4. Robert Glennen (1810-1878), a Scottish-born educator and author who emigrated to the United States and established several schools in New England.
5. Margaret Glennen (1890-1965), a Scottish-American artist renowned for her landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands.
While the Glennen surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration and migration. However, the earliest recorded instances and notable historical figures associated with this name can be traced back to Scotland, reflecting its strong connection to the country's history and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glennen
Among Census respondents with the surname Glennen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Glennen bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Glennen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 9
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glennen
Glennen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,312 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,312 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,297 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Glennen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #143,149 | #149,446 | -4.4% |
| Count | 116 | 110 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glennen bearers went from 116 to 110 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #149,446.
FAQ
Glennen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glennen?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Glennen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Glennen?
Glennen ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Glennen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Glennen.
Has Glennen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glennen went from 116 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Glennen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glennen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Glennen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glennen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (8.2%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Glennen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Glennen mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gloinne referring to someone from a valley. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Glennen (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Glennen?
Want to know how many people have the surname Glennen? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.