Galen
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Greek
- US rank, 2025
- #4,395 for boys
Galen is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “calm, tranquillity”. In 2025 it ranked 4,395th for boys in the US (23 babies).
What does Galen mean?
Greek
“calm, tranquillity”
A male given name from Ancient Greek, of mostly American usage.
From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is Galen a girl's or a boy's name?
Galen is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 23 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Galen in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1998, with 4 boys.
Galen in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | #6,364 |
| 2020 | 3 | #4,803 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 1 | #6,179 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 1 | #6,332 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 4 | #3,836 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 1 | #5,377 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 4 | #2,714 |
| 2000 | 1 | #4,018 |
| 1999 | 1 | #3,925 |
| 1998 | 4 | #2,531 |
| 1997 | 1 | #3,857 |
| 1996 | 3 | #2,949 |
How popular is Galen in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,395among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 23about 1 in 74,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 28% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 23 boys in the US were named Galen, making it the 4,395th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,727th. Its busiest year was 1949, with 433 boys. It first appears in the records in 1889.
2025 had fewer boys named Galen than any year since 1911.
Half of all the boys named Galen in the US since 1880 were born between 1945 and 1982, the years shaded on the chart below.
Galen in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | #4,395 |
| 2024 | 47 | #2,750 |
| 2023 | 38 | #3,175 |
| 2022 | 51 | #2,615 |
| 2021 | 45 | #2,774 |
| 2020 | 45 | #2,727 |
| 2019 | 49 | #2,625 |
| 2018 | 57 | #2,324 |
| 2017 | 55 | #2,344 |
| 2016 | 32 | #3,440 |
| 2015 | 47 | #2,599 |
| 2014 | 62 | #2,173 |
| 2013 | 50 | #2,460 |
| 2012 | 55 | #2,325 |
| 2011 | 31 | #3,433 |
| 2010 | 59 | #2,211 |
| 2009 | 51 | #2,485 |
| 2008 | 57 | #2,290 |
| 2007 | 46 | #2,643 |
| 2006 | 66 | #2,009 |
| 2005 | 80 | #1,671 |
| 2004 | 85 | #1,552 |
| 2003 | 93 | #1,418 |
| 2002 | 103 | #1,300 |
| 2001 | 94 | #1,353 |
| 2000 | 116 | #1,173 |
| 1999 | 122 | #1,093 |
| 1998 | 133 | #1,014 |
| 1997 | 114 | #1,107 |
| 1996 | 143 | #912 |
| 1995 | 152 | #884 |
| 1994 | 151 | #878 |
| 1993 | 152 | #856 |
| 1992 | 148 | #864 |
| 1991 | 156 | #823 |
| 1990 | 176 | #762 |
| 1989 | 161 | #779 |
| 1988 | 147 | #777 |
| 1987 | 164 | #712 |
| 1986 | 184 | #661 |
| 1985 | 159 | #698 |
| 1984 | 151 | #710 |
| 1983 | 143 | #721 |
| 1982 | 126 | #782 |
| 1981 | 150 | #706 |
| 1980 | 157 | #694 |
| 1979 | 152 | #693 |
| 1978 | 154 | #673 |
| 1977 | 135 | #737 |
| 1976 | 138 | #711 |
| 1975 | 183 | #596 |
| 1974 | 138 | #698 |
| 1973 | 154 | #642 |
| 1972 | 185 | #585 |
| 1971 | 191 | #600 |
| 1970 | 212 | #556 |
| 1969 | 187 | #575 |
| 1968 | 182 | #561 |
| 1967 | 174 | #570 |
| 1966 | 173 | #575 |
| 1965 | 164 | #594 |
| 1964 | 215 | #533 |
| 1963 | 201 | #557 |
| 1962 | 213 | #545 |
| 1961 | 228 | #525 |
| 1960 | 220 | #533 |
| 1959 | 246 | #500 |
| 1958 | 245 | #495 |
| 1957 | 262 | #480 |
| 1956 | 284 | #448 |
| 1955 | 293 | #427 |
| 1954 | 307 | #408 |
| 1953 | 293 | #407 |
| 1952 | 304 | #394 |
| 1951 | 378 | #350 |
| 1950 | 326 | #373 |
| 1949 | 433 | #329 |
| 1948 | 342 | #367 |
| 1947 | 299 | #397 |
| 1946 | 210 | #435 |
| 1945 | 198 | #424 |
| 1944 | 214 | #411 |
| 1943 | 204 | #441 |
| 1942 | 204 | #430 |
| 1941 | 171 | #450 |
| 1940 | 170 | #443 |
| 1939 | 169 | #438 |
| 1938 | 157 | #460 |
| 1937 | 138 | #485 |
| 1936 | 139 | #477 |
| 1935 | 140 | #479 |
| 1934 | 136 | #492 |
| 1933 | 128 | #495 |
| 1932 | 122 | #528 |
| 1931 | 119 | #532 |
| 1930 | 104 | #591 |
| 1929 | 122 | #527 |
| 1928 | 101 | #608 |
| 1927 | 124 | #553 |
| 1926 | 103 | #619 |
| 1925 | 110 | #600 |
| 1924 | 99 | #642 |
| 1923 | 114 | #589 |
| 1922 | 90 | #686 |
| 1921 | 95 | #665 |
| 1920 | 81 | #721 |
| 1919 | 79 | #704 |
| 1918 | 72 | #761 |
| 1917 | 69 | #749 |
| 1916 | 75 | #685 |
| 1915 | 62 | #759 |
| 1914 | 61 | #645 |
| 1913 | 41 | #720 |
| 1912 | 39 | #681 |
| 1911 | 9 | #1,189 |
| 1910 | 12 | #927 |
| 1909 | 7 | #1,155 |
| 1908 | 8 | #1,021 |
| 1907 | 9 | #929 |
| 1906 | 10 | #798 |
| 1905 | 6 | #1,090 |
| 1904 | 5 | #1,204 |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,049 |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,050 |
| 1898 | 6 | #1,001 |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 5 | #1,100 |
| 1895 | 8 | #794 |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 6 | #878 |
Names like Galen
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Billy David Michael Stephen Jason Robin Tommy George Teddy Daniel Patrick Ronnie
Names related to Galen
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Galen: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/galen, updated 20 October 2026.