NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Glynis

A feminine Welsh name meaning "fair" or "smooth".

Glynis is a girl's name in the UK records.

We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Glynis. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Glynis ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #497 in 1975.
  • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Glynis as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

-

Births in -

-

Peak year

-

Estimated living

3

2026

Meaning

What does Glynis mean?

The name Glynis is a Welsh feminine name derived from the Welsh word "glyn," meaning "valley." It is believed to have originated in Wales during the Middle Ages, when many Welsh names were first recorded.

Glynis was a popular name among the ancient Britons, who inhabited Wales and other parts of the British Isles. The name was likely used to refer to a woman who lived in or was associated with a particular valley or glen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glynis can be found in the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh folklore and mythology dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. In these tales, several characters bear names similar to Glynis, such as Glynnys and Glyndwr.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Glynis. One of the earliest recorded was Glynis Fychan (c. 1420-1490), a Welsh noblewoman and landowner who lived during the 15th century. Another notable figure was Glynis Meredith (1550-1610), a Welsh poet and bard who contributed to the preservation of Welsh literature and culture.

In the 20th century, Glynis Johns (born 1923) was a renowned Welsh actress who appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Mary Poppins and A Majority of One. Glynis Barber (born 1955) is a British actress best known for her role in the soap opera EastEnders.

Another notable individual was Glynis Nunn (1944-2011), an Australian herpetologist and wildlife conservationist who dedicated her life to studying and protecting reptiles. She was instrumental in establishing several reptile parks and conservation initiatives in Australia.

While the name Glynis has Welsh origins, it has gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, where it is often used as a variant of the name Glynnis or Glenys.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Geography

Where Glynis is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Glynis. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Glynis ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #497 in 1975.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Glynis in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#497 in 1975

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Glynis

  • Glynis Coles

    tennis player

    British tennis player

    1954-

  • Glynis Dray

    visual artist

    1952-

  • Glynis Breakwell

    psychologist

    Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath; Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Somerset

    1952-

  • Glynis Penny

    marathon runner

    British athlete

    1951-

  • Glynis Oliver

    colorist

    American colorist

    1949-

  • Glynis Johns

    actor; pianist; musician; stage actor; television actor; ballerina; dancer; singer; film actor

    British actress (1923–2024)

    1923-2024

  • Glynis Jones

    musician; composer

    British musician

  • Glynis Owen

    school inspector

    school inspector

Related

Names similar to Glynis

FAQ

Glynis: questions and answers

What is the meaning and origin of Glynis?

A feminine Welsh name meaning "fair" or "smooth".

Where is Glynis most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Glynis ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #497 in 1975. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.