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

Glidden, 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 Glidden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Glidden in America

Glidden is the 7061st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Glidden surname appeared 4,739 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Glidden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Glidden 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 Glidden

The surname Glidden is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the surname Gliddon, which is derived from a place name in Cornwall, England. The place name Gliddon is derived from the Old English words "glidd," meaning "smooth" or "gliding," and "dun," meaning "hill" or "down."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Gliddon or similar spellings. These entries suggest that the name was already established in Cornwall and surrounding areas by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Glidden was John Gliddon, who was born in Cornwall in the late 13th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was William Gliddon, a landowner in Devon, England, who lived in the 14th century.

Over the centuries, the spelling of the name evolved, with variants such as Gliddon, Glidden, and Gliddon appearing in various records. Some of these variants may have been influenced by the pronunciation of the name in different regions or by scribal errors.

In the 16th century, there are records of a family with the surname Glidden residing in the village of Glidden, near Okehampton in Devon. This village likely took its name from the surname, suggesting that the Glidden family had a significant presence in the area.

One notable individual with the surname Glidden was John Glidden (1617-1690), an early settler in New England who arrived in Massachusetts in 1638. He went on to become a prominent landowner and military leader in the colony.

Another notable bearer of the name was Charles Glidden (1857-1927), an American businessman and automobile enthusiast who co-founded the Glidden Tour, one of the earliest automobile road tours in the United States.

Other notable individuals with the surname Glidden include:

1. Joseph Glidden (1813-1906), an American farmer and inventor who patented the first successful barbed wire in 1874.
2. Ralph Glidden (1857-1919), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Glidden Varnish Company.
3. Sarah Glidden (born 1979), an American cartoonist and author known for her graphic novels and memoirs.
4. Willard Glidden (1903-1996), an American chemist and inventor who developed the process for producing powdered egg products.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Glidden

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

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 Glidden 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 Glidden 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 Glidden was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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