Origin and Meaning of the Name Glen/Glenn
The name Glen/Glenn stems from the Scottish/Irish Gaelic word ‘gleann’. In Scotland, a glen is another name for a valley or meadow. The meaning of the name Glen is ‘from the valley’.
Popularity
Glen is the 361st most popular baby boy’s name in Scotland in 2012 (Scottish Government Statistics). The popularity of the name Glen peaked around the 1960s and 1970s, and has since decreased to it’s lowest point. The current trend in baby naming is using vintage names, so the use of the boy’s name Glen could increase in coming years.
Famous people called Glen(n)
There are many famous people with the name Glen. These include Glen Hoddle who is a former English footballer. Another English footballer with the name Glen is Glen Johnson. An American country music star Glen Cambell shares the name as well. Another American musician is Glenn Miller who was famous around the sing era.
Glen/Glenn can also be a last name, and variations of it are Glyn and Glynn. In female form, the name Glen is spelled Glenna, but can also just be used without adding an ‘a’ on the end. A famous American actress with the name Glenn is Glenn Close.
Useful Resources
- Our complete list of Scottish boys’ names
- See the most popular boys’ names in Scotland at the moment