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Glen Family History

Glen Surname Meaning

Scottish (central Scotland): habitational name from Glen in Traquair (Peebleshire). The placename is derived from Gaelic gleann ‘glen valley’.

English: habitational name from a place so called in Leicestershire so named from an Old English word glean ‘glen valley’ (from Celtic glinn).

Jewish (Ashkenazic): presumably an Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish names.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Glen family from?

You can see how Glen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Glen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Glen families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 158 Glen families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Glen's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Glen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Glen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Glen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Glen. 18% of Glen men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Glen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Glen were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Glen | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    18%
  • Retired
    9%
  • Bank Clerk
    9%
  • Incapacitated
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Glen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 102,000 census records available for the last name Glen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Glen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Glen

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Glen. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Glen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Glen. For the veterans among your Glen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Glen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Glen family history

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What is the average Glen lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Glen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Glen in 1953 was 29, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Glen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Glen ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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