Galen
Galen is an almost exclusively masculine given name. The best-known Galen was a Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher in Ancient Rome. Other Galens include:
- English
Meaning & Origin of Galen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Galen is an almost exclusively masculine given name. The best-known Galen was a Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher in Ancient Rome. Other Galens include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Galen
Galen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1889, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1949: 433 births, good for #329 nationwide. As of 2026, Galen ranks #2,823 for baby boys with 45 births, gradually falling (-10%). All told, over 17K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Where is Galen most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- United States77%
- Canada9%
- China7%
- HK4%
- Saint Lucia2%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Galen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Galen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Galen
What does the name Galen mean?
What is the origin of the name Galen?
How popular is Galen in 2026?
When was Galen most popular?
In which U.S. states is Galen most popular?
Is Galen a unisex name?
What names go well with Galen?
About the name Galen
Galen is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1889 and has accumulated 17K births in the dataset. Galen's peak popularity came in 1949 when it ranked #329. Use the chart and map above to compare Galen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1949 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.