Glen
Glen was the 2026th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 74 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 112th; the most babies were born in 1957 (2,924). Over the last ten years it has moved down 354 places. More babies were named Glen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Glenn) valley (Gaelic) · Scottish Gaelic, Irish
- Rank in 2025
- #2,026 boys, up 398 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 74boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19572,924 babies
- Total since 1880
- 127,054babies recorded
What does the name Glen mean?
Glen is a spelling of Glenn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Glenn's meaning and origin.
Glenn is a surname from Scottish Gaelic gleann (Irish gleann) 'mountain valley', the source of English glen. Wiktionary lists it as a boys' name transferred from the surname, fairly popular in the mid-20th century. Bandleader Glenn Miller and astronaut John Glenn are well-known bearers. The girls' form Glenda also exists.
gleann (Scottish Gaelic / Irish, “mountain valley”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Glen, Glyn, Glenda.
See also: Scottish names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Glenn', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'gleann' (Scottish Gaelic section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Glen popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,348 since 1884.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,026 | 74 |
| 2020 | #2,424 | 54 |
| 2010 | #1,659 | 94 |
| 2000 | #765 | 217 |
| 1990 | #464 | 450 |
| 1980 | #319 | 599 |
| 1970 | #155 | 1,997 |
| 1960 | #143 | 2,443 |
| 1950 | #125 | 2,173 |
| 1940 | #130 | 1,434 |
| 1930 | #114 | 1,595 |
| 1920 | #122 | 1,412 |
| 1910 | #165 | 184 |
| 1900 | #155 | 134 |
| 1890 | #195 | 68 |
| 1880 | #350 | 24 |
How popular is Glen, counting every spelling?
Glen is a spelling of Glenn, a name family that ranked #1,035 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,026 for Glen on its own. Together these spellings went to 198 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn | 124 | #1,443 | 625 |
| Glen | 74 | #2,026 | 351 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Glen?
74 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Glen (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Glen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 113 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Glen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Glen?
About 63,100 people born in the US named Glen are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 54 and 72. That makes Glen a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Glen by state
How common Glen was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 44 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Glen: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Glen, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Glen
What does Glen mean?
Glen is a spelling of Glenn, which means “valley (Gaelic)” (Scottish Gaelic, Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Glen?
Glen was the 2026th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 74 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 112th; the most babies were born in 1957 (2,924). Over the last ten years it has moved down 354 places. More babies were named Glen in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Glen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Glen in the US.
Where is Glen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Glen was most common in Colorado (0.04 per 1,000 boys), followed by California and Indiana.