Boy
Scottish Gaelic
1 syllable
Glen
GLEN
/ɡlɛn/
"Valley" — a name drawn from the Scottish landscape, serene and deeply rooted
Glen is an anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic gleann, meaning a narrow mountain valley. As a given name it gained currency in the 19th century along with the broader fashion for nature and landscape names. It enjoyed its greatest popularity in mid-20th century America, associated with the cool elegance of bandleader Glenn Miller and astronaut John Glenn. The spelling Glenn (with double n) is equally common.
Quick Facts
Letters4
SyllablesGlen
GenderBoy
OriginScottish Gaelic
Root Wordgleann
MeaningValley, narrow valley
PopularityClassic
Peak Year1955
Trend
→ Stable
Name DayN/A
Nicknames
Glennie
About the Name Glen
Glen means valley or narrow mountain valley, from the Scottish Gaelic gleann, reflecting the rugged Scottish landscape.
Glen was most popular in the 1940s–1960s and has since declined, though it retains a timeless, nature-inspired appeal.
Glen Alan, Glen Thomas, Glen Edward, and Glen Michael are all clean, strong combinations.
Glen is anglicized from the Scottish Gaelic gleann and began being used as a personal name in the 19th century.
Glens are often seen as calm, reliable, and quietly adventurous — grounded individuals with a love of nature and open spaces.
Glen is typically used in full; Glennie is an occasional affectionate form.
Personality of Glen
Perceived character traits commonly associated with people named Glen
Creativity
74%
Elegance
70%
Independence
82%
Intelligence
76%
Strength
78%
Warmth
80%
Famous People Named Glen
G
Glenn Miller
American big band musician and one of the best-selling recording artists of the swing era
J
John Glenn
First American to orbit the Earth and later a US Senator from Ohio
G
Glen Campbell
American country rock singer and guitarist, known for Rhinestone Cowboy
Middle Names for Glen
Beautiful combinations that flow well with Glen
Glen Alan
Glen Ray
Glen Lee
Glen Dale
Glen Wayne
Glen Edward
Glen Thomas
Glen Michael
Glen Robert
Glen Scott
Names Similar to Glen
Similar Meaning
Sibling Name Ideas
History of Glen
1800s
Glen gains use as a given name, inspired by the Scottish landscape tradition
1939
Glenn Miller forms his famous orchestra and defines the swing era sound
1955
Glen reaches peak popularity in the United States
1962
John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, bringing global fame to the name
Numerology & Symbolism of Glen
2
Destiny Number
Sum of all letters
5
Soul Urge
Sum of vowels
♍
Zodiac Affinity
Taurus
4
Lucky Number
Personal power digit
🎨
Lucky Color
Forest Green
💎
Lucky Stone
Emerald
🌸
Lucky Flower
Heather
Glen Around the World
How Glen is written in different languages and scripts
גלן
Hebrew
غلين
Arabic
Глен
Russian
グレン
Japanese
格伦
Chinese
Γκλεν
Greek
ग्लेन
Hindi
글렌
Korean
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