How Many People Are Named Galen?
people named Galen are alive in the United States today (estimate)
About 1 in 30,289 people in the US has this name
Based on 17,060 babies named Galen in Social Security records from 1889 to 2025, and the share of each birth year still alive in 2025.
Popularity Rank
💎 Rare
Peak Year
441 births
Trend
Stable (last 10 years)
📖 Name Origin & Meaning
Meaning:
Modern form of the Greek name Γαληνος (Galenos), which meant "calm" from Greek γαληνη (galene). It was borne by a 2nd-century BC Greco-Roman physician who contributed to anatomy and medicine. In modern times the name is occasionally given in his honour.
Source of the meaning, origin, pronunciation and related names: Behind the Name.
⚧ Gender Distribution
Of the babies given the name Galen, 4.5% were girls and 95.6% were boys.
👥 Age Distribution
The average person named Galen alive today is about 50 years old, and 42% are between 30 and 59. Half of them were between 34 and 69 in 2025.
📈 Popularity Over Time
Galen first appears in the records in 1889 and was given most often in 1949, to 441 babies. In 2025, 23 babies got the name.
Babies given the name each year, 1889 to 2025
🏆 Rank History
Galen has never been one of the 100 most popular boys' names. Its best rank was #329, in 1949. In 2025 it ranked #4,441.
| Boys | |
|---|---|
| Rank in 2025 | #4,441 |
| Best rank | #329 (1949) |
| Years in the top 100 | None |
| Rank in its biggest decade | #431 in the 1950s |
📍 State-Wise Distribution
People named Galen alive today, by the state where they were born (estimate; state records start in 1910).
More people named Galen were born in California than in any other state: about 991 of those alive today. Compared with the national rate in the same years, Galen was given 8.6 times as often in Kansas, 6.8 times in Maine and 4.2 times in Iowa.
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