How Many People Are Named Glena?
An estimated 402 people in the United States have the first name Glena. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 70 years old, and Glena peaked in popularity in 1950 with 31 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Glena as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Glena paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 70, Glena is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1966.
Estimated Living Americans
402
About 1 in 852,623 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
100.0% confidence
Average Age
70
years old
Peak Year
1950
31 births
Total Registered
1,078
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Glena
Glena is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 1,078 total births registered, 100.0% were female.
Glena as a female name
Ranked #14,032 in 1992
5 female births in 1992
Peak: 1950 (31 births)
Glena in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 684 people with the first name Glena, which placed it at #16,474 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Glena was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 684 people with this name in that snapshot, 1.8% were male and 98.2% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 100.0% of the time.
Census Count
684
people with this name
Census Rank
#16,474
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.23
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Glena was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.70%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (7.43%) and Hispanic (5.54%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Glena in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Glena.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 77.70% | 533 |
| Black | 7.43% | 51 |
| Hispanic | 5.54% | 38 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 5.39% | 37 |
| Two or More Races | 3.35% | 23 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.58% | 4 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Glena: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Glena span from the 1890s to the 1990s, covering 11 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1930s, when 209 babies were registered. Glena has declined significantly from its peak in the 1930s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Glena by Decade
How has Glena tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Glena by State
Birth registrations for Glena span all 4 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, Kentucky, Arkansas. The lowest are in Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky. On average, about 15 Glenas were registered per state.
Glena + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Glena as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Glena
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
Glena: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Glena?
We estimate approximately 402 people named Glena are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 852,623 Americans share this first name.
Is Glena a common name?
Glena is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 82.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,078 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Glena most popular?
Glena reached peak popularity in 1950, when 31 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Glena is approximately 70 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Glena in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 684 people with the first name Glena. That placed it at #16,474 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.23 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Glena was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Glena?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Glena was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 1.8% male and 98.2% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Glena?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Glena was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.70%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (7.43%) and Hispanic (5.54%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Glena a female name?
Glena is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Glena have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Glena peaked in 1950, and the average living bearer is about 70 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Glena Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Glena Smith, Glena Johnson, Glena Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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