Total births
125,706
Boys' name · since 1880
Glen
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 125,706 babies named Glen, peaking in 1957. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2289
- among boys today
- 125,706
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
125,706 babies have been named Glen since 1880, making it today's #2289 boys' name.
Glen has 125,706 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2289 as of the latest data, more common than 84% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2289 among boys today
- 125,706 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 84% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Glen is currently the #2289 boys' name in America, more common than 84% of boys - 125,706 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2289
- among boys today
- 125,706
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
Glen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2289
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 84% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Glen was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
2,924 babies were named Glen in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Glen compares
125,706 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Glen's all-time total is 343x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Glen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 125,706 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,924 | 23 | 22,252 |
Glen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Glen's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 24 births recorded -- set against the 1957 peak of 2,924, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Glen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1957
Current rank
#2,289
Active since
1880
Glen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 2,924
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Glen popularity over time - girls
1,348 total births recorded since 1884 (Glen as girls' name)
Glen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Glen's strongest decade.
25,395 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Glen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 437
1880s
437 births
- 1890s 959
1890s
959 births
- 1900s 1,337
1900s
1,337 births
- 1910s 8,544
1910s
8,544 births
- 1920s
1920s
14,965 births
- 1930s
1930s
14,486 births
- 1940s
1940s
16,553 births
- 1950s
1950s
25,395 births
- 1960s
1960s
21,877 births
- 1970s 9,834
1970s
9,834 births
- 1980s 5,331
1980s
5,331 births
- 1990s 3,113
1990s
3,113 births
- 2000s 1,525
2000s
1,525 births
- 2010s 945
2010s
945 births
- 2020s 405
2020s
405 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 25,395 births (20% of all-time use).
How Glen compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Glen's total volume
Glen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Glen by state
Where Glen concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 8,985 | 7.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 6,967 | 5.5% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 6,896 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 5,527 | 4.4% |
| #5 | New York | | 5,471 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 5,222 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 4,644 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 4,096 | 3.3% |
California share of Glen's total US births 7.1%
Even split
8,985 of 125,706 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Glen appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Glen? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 125,706 babies named Glen. Today it holds rank #2289 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1957, with 2,924 births.
When was Glen most popular? ▼
Glen was most popular in the 1950s decade with 25,395 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Glen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Glen are California (8,985 births), Texas (6,967 births), Illinois (6,896 births).
How long has the name Glen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Glen since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Glen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Glenn, Glendon, Glenwood, Glennon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Glen's data
- Glen's decade-level peak was the 1950s (25,395 total births); usage has since declined to 405 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Glens (8,985 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Glen
Nearby Names Like Glen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Glen
Glenn Boy
#1360 248,642 births
Glendon Boy
#6849 4,695 births
Glenwood Boy
2,247 births
Glennon Boy
1,244 births
Glennis Boy
721 births
Compare Glen side by side: Glen vs Glenn Glen vs Glendon Glen vs Glenwood
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Glen
Marion #2288
72,495 births · Peak 1921
Patricio #2290
4,619 births · Peak 2009
Finan #2287
348 births · Peak 2023
Harlen #2291
3,405 births · Peak 1936
Amirion #2286
318 births · Peak 2025
Stefano #2292
3,150 births · Peak 1993
Ezren #2285
328 births · Peak 2025
Patton #2293
1,664 births · Peak 2015
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Glen: #2289 Boys' Name - 125,706 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/glen. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Glen draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.