UK boy's name
Gleb
A Russian masculine given name meaning "lump of earth or clay".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Gleb is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Gleb popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 8 births.
This profile covers 34 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2008 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 34 living people in the UK are called Gleb. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Gleb ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2014, when 8 boys were registered as Gleb.
- • About 34 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gleb as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4789
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2014
8 births
Estimated living
34
2026
Meaning
What does Gleb mean?
The name Gleb has its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly in Russian and Ukrainian. It is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "glubu," meaning "deep" or "profound." The name was popular in the medieval period among the Eastern Slavic peoples, particularly in the territories that now comprise modern-day Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gleb can be found in the medieval Russian chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years," which recounts the lives of the Kievan Rus' princes Gleb and Boris, the sons of Prince Vladimir the Great. According to the chronicle, Gleb and Boris were martyred by their brother Sviatopolk in 1015, and their cult as passion-bearers (individuals who suffered for their faith but did not actively seek martyrdom) was later established in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Another notable historical figure with the name Gleb was Gleb Naumovich, a 12th-century Russian prince who ruled the Principality of Pereyaslavl from 1149 to 1169. He played a significant role in the political affairs of the Kievan Rus' and was involved in numerous conflicts with other princes.
In the 15th century, Gleb Semenovich was a prominent Russian boyar (nobleman) and military leader who served under Ivan III, the Grand Prince of Moscow. He participated in various military campaigns, including the conquest of Novgorod in 1478.
During the 16th century, Gleb Ivanovich Naryshkin, a Russian boyar and diplomat, served as an envoy to various European courts, including those of Sweden and Denmark. He was also a member of the Boyar Duma, the highest advisory council in the Tsardom of Russia.
Another notable figure with the name Gleb was Gleb Yakunin, a Russian Orthodox priest and human rights activist who was born in 1934. He was a prominent dissident during the Soviet era and advocated for religious freedom and human rights. He was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned for his activities but continued to be a vocal critic of the Soviet regime.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Gleb, which has deep roots in the Slavic cultural and linguistic traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gleb over time
The chart below shows babies named Gleb registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gleb, the clearest high point is 2014. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gleb by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gleb was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4789 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #3241 | 28 | 5 |
| 2000s | #4432 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Gleb
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Grayson 7,636
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Grant 1,199
FAQ
Gleb: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gleb in the UK right now?
In 2022, Gleb was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Gleb most popular?
The peak year on record was 2014, with 8 babies registered as Gleb in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gleb?
A Russian masculine given name meaning "lump of earth or clay".
How many people are called Gleb in the UK?
A total of 34 babies have been registered as Gleb across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.