boy's name
Glenn
GLEN
- Origin Scottish Gaelic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 255,915
Northern Ireland
#374
2013 births
Glenn is a boy's name from the Gaelic word for a narrow valley, and like Craig and Dale it is a plain landscape noun. Our data marks it stable, and it charts in four markets.
- Glenn is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin.
- Peaked in 1962, when 7,389 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 26,737 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Glenn over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 787 |
| 1890s | 1,618 |
| 1900s | 2,234 |
| 1910s | 14,513 |
| 1920s | 25,482 |
| 1930s | 24,439 |
| 1940s | 35,953 |
| 1950s | 58,996 |
| 1960s | 48,317 |
| 1970s | 17,020 |
| 1980s | 10,305 |
| 1990s | 6,015 |
| 2000s | 2,735 |
| 2010s | 1,615 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 749 |
What Glenn means
Glenn means a valley, specifically a narrow one between hills. The Gaelic word names the landform directly, so the name describes terrain rather than a person.
Where Glenn comes from
Glenn is the Gaelic gleann, a narrow valley — the English word glen is the same, borrowed from Gaelic, and it means something more specific than valley: a glen is steep-sided and usually holds a river. It became a surname for someone living in one, and then a given name, chiefly American and twentieth-century. It belongs with Craig, Dale, Heather and Brooke in the group of plain landscape nouns that entered English-language naming, and the doubled n is the American spelling while Glen with one n is more usual in Scotland.
Glenn in use
Glenn peaked in the United States in 1962, when 7,389 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 985th in Ireland, 1207th in France on 30 births, 1446th in the United States on 124 and 4817th in England and Wales, across 255,915 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. France gives it a stronger position than either the United States or England and Wales.
How popular is Glenn?
In 2025, Glenn was given to 124 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Glenn is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Glenn
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Glenn also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Glenn over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Glenn in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Glenn
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Glenn — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Glenn
What does the name Glenn mean?
A narrow valley — the Gaelic gleann, which also gives the English word glen.
Is it Glenn or Glen?
Glenn with two n is the American spelling; Glen with one is more usual in Scotland.
Is a glen different from a valley?
Yes — a glen is steep-sided and usually holds a river, which is more specific than valley.
How popular is Glenn?
1446th in the United States, and our data marks it stable.
Is Glenn a girl's or a boy's name?
Glenn is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Glenn?
Glenn has 1 syllable.
Is Glenn a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Glenn currently ranks #985 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.