2000
#3,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,210
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.41
Uncommon Last name
Glynn
A topographical surname referring to someone who lived near a valley or glen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,669 Americans carry the last name Glynn. That puts it at #3,715 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,126 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glynn 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Glynn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,126
Census rank
#3,715
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.3K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,304 bearers of the surname Glynn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3715th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glynn
The surname Glynn is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Gloinne, which means "descendant of Gloinn". It originated in County Roscommon, Ireland during the Middle Ages. The name Gloinn itself is derived from the Gaelic word "gloinn", meaning "glass" or "glaze".
The first recorded instances of the surname Glynn can be found in the Annals of Ulster, which date back to the 15th century. The annals mention several individuals with the surname, such as Donnchadh Ó Gloinne, who was a prominent chieftain in County Roscommon in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Glynn began to spread throughout Ireland, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such individual was Sir John Glynn, who was a member of the Irish Parliament and served as a judge in the early 17th century.
The surname Glynn has been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Glenogra (Gleann Ó gCloinne) in County Roscommon, and Glynn in County Antrim. The latter was known as Glynn Beag in earlier times, which translates to "little glen".
Several notable individuals with the surname Glynn have made their mark throughout history. These include:
1. Katharine Glynn (1598-1629), an Irish noblewoman and landowner in County Waterford.
2. John Glynn (1722-1779), an Irish-born Anglican priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Bangor.
3. Joseph Glynn (1799-1863), an Irish-American politician who served as the 8th Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland.
4. Austin E. Glynn (1879-1952), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th Governor of New York from 1921 to 1925.
5. Martin Henry Glynn (1871-1952), an Irish-born Catholic priest and author who founded the Catholic Truth Society of Ireland.
While the surname Glynn has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to Irish immigration. However, the rich history and significance of this surname can be traced back to its origins in County Roscommon and the Gaelic language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glynn
Among Census respondents with the surname Glynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Glynn 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 Glynn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 7,942
- Black or African American6.5% · 604
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 343
- Two or more races3.4% · 319
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glynn
Glynn 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
#3,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,501
+291 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 3.22
Rank movement Down 189 places
2020
#3,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,304
-197 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 3.11
Rank movement Up 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,542 | 9,210 | 3.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,731 | 9,501 | 3.22 | +291 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 189 places |
| 2020 | #3,715 | 9,304 | 3.11 | -197 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 16 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 Glynn 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 | #3,731 | #3,715 | 0.4% |
| Count | 9,501 | 9,304 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.22 | 3.11 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glynn bearers went from 9,501 to 9,304 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,731 to #3,715.
FAQ
Glynn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glynn?
Name Census estimates that about 10,669 living Americans carry the surname Glynn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,126 residents.
How common is Glynn?
Glynn ranks #3,715 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,304 people with the surname Glynn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,669), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Glynn.
Has Glynn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glynn went from 9,501 recorded bearers to 9,304. That is a decrease of 197 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,731 to #3,715.
What does the Census say about the background of Glynn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Glynn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (7,942 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glynn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (6.5%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Glynn (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 Glynn mean?
A topographical surname referring to someone who lived 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 Glynn (3.11 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 have the surname Glynn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.