Show ContentsGlenys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Glenys

What does the name Glenys mean?

The rugged west coast of Scotland and the desolate Hebrides islands are the ancestral home of the Glenys family. Their name indicates that the original bearer lived in Gleney, or Glennie, in Braemar, Aberdeenshire. Glennie is a surname from the region around Aberdeen, and it was originally born by generations of tenant farmers in the districts of both Dee and Don. The surname Glennie, which was originally derived from Gaelic "gleann" which means "valley", was also given to someone who resided near a valley.

Early Origins of the Glenys family

The surname Glenys was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Glenys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glenys research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Glenys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glenys Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Glenys has been spelled Glennie, Gleny, Glen, Glenney, Glenning, Glenny and many more.

Early Notables of the Glenys family

More information is included under the topic Early Glenys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Glenys family to Ireland

Some of the Glenys family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Glenys family

The hardy Scots who made the crossing settled all along the east coast of North America and in the great west that was just then opening up. At the time of the American War of Independence, many United Empire Loyalists moved north from the American colonies to Canada. Scottish national heritage became better known in North America in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic events. An examination of immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Glenys arrived in North America very early: John Glenney who settled in Philadelphia in 1856; followed by Michael and Robert; Bridget, Mary, and Patrick Glenning arrived in New York in 1804; Alexander Glenny arrived in Philadelphia in 1876.


Contemporary Notables of the name Glenys (post 1700) +

  • Glenys Elizabeth Kinnock FRSA (1944-2023), Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, née Parry, a British politician and teacher who served as Minister of State for Europe from June to October 2009 and Minister of State for Africa and the United Nations from 2009 to 2010
  • Glenys Quick (b. 1957), New Zealand gold medalist female long-distance runner at the 1984 Nagoya Marathon
  • Glenys Rae Fowles AM (b. 1941), Australian operatic soprano
  • Glenys Bakker (b. 1962), Canadian Olympic curler


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