Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1950

Glenda

Meaning holy, fair Gender Girl Rank 2025 #5,987 Trend → Stable

Coined in the twentieth century from Welsh glân (“holy, fair”) and da (“good”).

Rank 2025
#5,987
among girls · ↓634 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
20
named Glenda · -17% vs 2024
How common
1 in 80,363
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1950
4,224 babies
All-time total
109,522
#354 all-time among girls
First recorded
1900
in Social Security records

Glenda popularity over time

109,522 babies have been named Glenda since 1900, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.751.52.25318801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s 65 – 65 7 – #1,077
1910s 553 – 553 55 +751% #761
1920s 1,457 – 1,457 146 +163% #497
1930s 10,590 40 10,630 1,063 +630% #112
1940s 33,348 117 33,465 3,347 +215% #79
1950s 35,228 86 35,314 3,531 +6% #87
1960s 17,592 52 17,644 1,764 -50% #158
1970s 5,324 – 5,324 532 -70% #312
1980s 2,448 – 2,448 245 -54% #567
1990s 1,374 – 1,374 137 -44% #1,030
2000s 787 – 787 79 -43% #1,805
2010s 325 – 325 33 -59% #3,370
2020s (to 2025) 136 – 136 23 -30% #4,888

Where Glenda is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 20 0.01 outside top 500
2027 20 0.01 outside top 500
2028 20 0.01 outside top 500
2029 20 0.01 outside top 500
2030 19 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Glenda

Glenda is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,987 in 2025 with 20 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1900, 109,522 American babies have been named Glenda. Its peak came in 1950, when 4,224 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Glenda stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Glenda?

The median living Glenda is about 71 years old; half are between 63 and 77. An estimated 80 thousand people named Glenda are alive in the United States today.

median 71 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Glenda year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 20 #5,987 – –
2024 24 #5,353 – –
2023 23 #5,449 – –
2022 18 #6,542 – –
2021 27 #4,888 – –
2020 24 #5,215 – –
2019 22 #5,674 – –
2018 24 #5,369 – –
2017 24 #5,423 – –
2016 33 #4,377 – –
2015 27 #5,029 – –
2014 30 #4,693 – –
2013 32 #4,461 – –
2012 39 #3,945 – –
2011 48 #3,370 – –
2010 46 #3,480 – –
2009 57 #3,015 – –
2008 61 #2,899 – –
2007 75 #2,494 – –
2006 72 #2,542 – –
2005 89 #2,095 – –
2004 66 #2,537 – –
2003 90 #2,008 – –
2002 95 #1,874 – –
2001 86 #1,984 – –
2000 96 #1,805 – –
1995 135 #1,256 – –
1990 175 #1,030 – –
1985 213 #785 – –
1980 327 #567 – –
1975 444 #443 – –
1970 893 #312 – –
1965 1,514 #217 5 #4,122
1960 2,689 #158 10 #2,752
1955 3,344 #128 11 #2,483
1950 4,215 #87 9 #2,652
1945 2,963 #92 10 #2,306
1940 2,353 #107 9 #2,559
1935 1,144 #169 7 #3,080
1930 181 #495 – –
1925 143 #611 – –
1920 110 #697 – –
1915 68 #800 – –
1910 10 #1,563 – –
1905 11 #1,203 – –
1900 5 #2,046 – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Glenda

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Glenda Jackson Glenda Jackson English actress and politician (1936–2023) Contemporary
  2. 2 Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell American actress (1904–1971) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Glenda, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Glenda?

The median living Glenda is about 71 years old. Half of all living Glendas are between 63 and 77 years old.

How many people named Glenda are alive today?

An estimated 80 thousand people named Glenda are alive in the United States, based on 109,522 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Glenda mean?

Coined in the twentieth century from Welsh glân (“holy, fair”) and da (“good”).

How popular is the name Glenda in 2025?

Glenda ranked #5,987 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 20 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Glenda?

109,522 babies have been named Glenda in the United States since 1900, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Glenda most popular?

Glenda peaked in 1950, when 4,224 newborns received the name.

Is Glenda a boy or girl name?

Glenda is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Glenda rising or falling?

Glenda is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Glenda become more popular?

Glenda looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 19 girls named Glenda in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Glenda?

Well-known people named Glenda include Glenda Jackson (politician), Glenda Farrell (actor).

Names like Glenda

Names that sound and feel close to Glenda: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Glenda with similar names → More names starting with G →