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Glenwood

♂ Boy

Pronounced GLEN-wood /ˈɡlɛn.wʊd/High

Meaning: Glenwood is a place- and surname name meaning 'wooded glen,' joining Gaelic-derived glen, 'a narrow valley,' to English wood. Carried as a given name in the American manner, it is a nature-and-place name, literally 'the wood in the glen.'Medium

In 30 seconds: Glenwood is a place-name meaning 'wooded glen,' from Gaelic glen ('valley') plus 'wood.' A sturdy nature name for boys, it crested around 1920.

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Origin MediumEnglish, Scottish

MeaningGlenwood is a place- and surname name meaning 'wooded glen,' joining Gaelic-derived glen, 'a narrow valley,' to English wood. Carried as a given name in the American manner, it is a nature-and-place name, literally 'the wood in the glen.'

U.S. rank (2001)#11164 ↘ Falling

2001 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1920

Total births (all-time)≈ 2,247

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Glenwood is a compound place- and surname name meaning 'wooded glen,' from glen, a narrow valley (via Gaelic gleann), and wood. It joined the early-twentieth-century American fashion for scenic, outdoorsy boys' names such as Forrest and Elwood, and was reinforced by the many U.S. towns named Glenwood. Its meaning is transparent and rooted in landscape.

The name crested around 1920 and stayed a modest choice, borne by a couple of thousand boys before fading across the century, with scattered use as late as 2001. A Glenwood named at the peak would be past a hundred today. It reads as a dignified vintage nature name and has not returned to fashion.

Did you know? Glenwood dots the American map — towns and springs of that name likely helped carry it onto birth records as the compound nature names of the early 1900s came into vogue.

Overall data confidence 68%

References — Glenwood — Place/surname 'wooded glen'; early-1900s peak

Variations

GlenGlenn

Nicknames

GlenWoody

Famous Bearers

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If you like Glenwood…

Glen— the shorter root name inside Glenwood

Elwood— a same-era -wood nature compound for boys

Woodrow— a like early-century name built on 'wood'

Forrest— a vintage nature name of the same generation

Explore names like Glenwood

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Glenwood mean?

Glenwood means 'wooded glen,' from glen, a narrow valley, plus 'wood.'

How do you pronounce Glenwood?

It's said GLEN-wood /ˈɡlɛn.wʊd/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Glenwood a boy or girl name?

Glenwood is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Glenwood?

Glenwood was an uncommon vintage nature name that crested in the early nineteen-twenties and has been rare since.