2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Glenning
A surname derived from a location, referring to someone who lived in or near a valley or glen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Glenning. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glenning 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Glenning in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glenning, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glenning
The surname Glenning is of English origin, derived from a place name. It is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, England, during the medieval period. The name likely comes from the Old English words "glenne" meaning "valley" and "ing" signifying "dweller" or "people of." Thus, Glenning referred to individuals who lived in or near a valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Glenning surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire, dated 1199. These were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, which suggest the name's presence in the region at that time.
In the 13th century, a Richard de Glenning was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire, legal records that document court proceedings and land transactions. This provides evidence of the surname's use during that era.
The Glenning surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. John Glenning (1542-1618), an English clergyman and academic, served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in the late 16th century.
Another prominent figure was William Glenning (1707-1787), a British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London during the 18th century. His most notable work is the Church of St Mary Woolnoth in the City of London.
In the 19th century, Thomas Glenning (1822-1892) was a renowned English painter and illustrator, known for his landscape paintings and illustrations for books and periodicals.
James Glenning (1847-1922), a British politician and businessman, served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Horsham from 1900 to 1906.
A more recent example is Robert Glenning (1920-2005), an Australian author and playwright, who wrote several novels and plays depicting life in rural Australia.
While the Glenning surname originated in Lancashire, it eventually spread to other parts of England and beyond, as families migrated and established new roots. The name's connection to a specific place name and its longevity throughout the centuries reflect its enduring legacy in English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glenning
Among Census respondents with the surname Glenning, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Glenning 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 Glenning surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 102
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glenning
Glenning 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-10 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,218 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+8 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,040 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 21,218 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 10,040 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 Glenning 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 | #160,975 | #150,935 | 6.2% |
| Count | 100 | 108 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glenning bearers went from 100 to 108 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 10,040 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,935.
FAQ
Glenning surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glenning?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Glenning. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Glenning?
Glenning ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Glenning. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Glenning.
Has Glenning become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glenning went from 100 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 8 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Glenning?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glenning, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Glenning in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glenning appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Black (0.9%). 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 Glenning (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 Glenning mean?
A surname derived from a location, referring to someone who lived in or near a valley or glen. 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 Glenning (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 share the surname Glenning?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.