Surname Glacken - Meaning and Origin

Glacken: What does the surname Glacken mean?

The last name Glacken is derived from the Gaelic surname "O Glacain," which means "descendant of Glacan." The prefix "O" indicates a connection to the Irish Gaelic tribe known as the Uí Glácain, a branch of the Érainn people. The name Glacan is thought to have derived from the ancient Irish word "gleocach," which means "sparrow hawk." The origin of the name could also be related to the old Irish word "gleacán," meaning “lean,” or “meager.”

This old Irish family is believed to have held high positions in Irish society. The Glackens were one of the twenty-four clans of the Airgialla confederation. The clan played an important role in the Irish Gaelic political landscape of southwestern Ulster, particularly the territory of Fermanagh. They were also prominent in what is now the County Donegal.

The Glacken surname is still found primarily in Northern Ireland and in counties such as Donegal and Fermanagh. It can, however, also be found in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Glackens who have emigrated to the United States have often taken more Anglicized versions of the name, such as Glackin or Glackman.

The Glacken surname has a long and illustrious history in Ireland and it continues to be a common name there today.

Glacken: Where does the name Glacken come from?

The Glacken surname is most commonly found today in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland. Glacken is an anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Glacháin, which is a derivative of the Gaelic personal name Glachán. The surname appears in Irish records since the 16th century when some of the descendants of Norse settlers in Ireland adopted the name.

In the United States, Glacken is most commonly found in New York, Pennsylvania, and California. The largest concentration of the surname in the United States is in the New York metropolitan area, with second largest numbers found in Allentown, Pennsylvania and San Francisco, California.

In the United Kingdom, Glacken is more heavily concentrated in areas that experienced significant Irish migration. These include London, Lancashire, and the English Southeast.

In Ireland, Glacken is found in County Kilkenny and Dublin.

The Glacken surname is not particularly common, and there were fewer than 400 families with the surname living in the United States in 2020.

Variations of the surname Glacken

The surname Glacken is of Irish origin and derived from the Gaelic surname MacClessain. Variants of Glacken include Glackin, MacGlacken, MacGlackin, Maglacken, Maglackin, Glackan and Glacken, among others. Some other surnames which may originate from the same Irish Gaelic surname are Glesson, Glessin, McGlashan, McGleshan, Glaichsan and Glaichsin.

In North America and the UK, many variants of Glacken are anglicised and have evolved slightly to become Glackman, Glackmann, Glackin, Glockman, Clackman and Clackmann, etc. These are all within the same family of spellings, though Glacken remains the most common.

In Ireland, many of the variants of Glacken fall under the Mac and Mc prefix, with possibilities including MacGlacken, MacGlackin, MacGlachan, MacGlaichan, MacGleckin, MacGleshan, MacGlin, Maglaichin, Maglacken and Maglackin.

Much like with other surnames, the spelling of Glacken has changed over the centuries, and it is not uncommon to find the different spellings of the same surname on birth, marriage and death records from different countries.

Famous people with the name Glacken

• Ed Glacken: An American attorney and former president of the Alaska Bar Association.
• Lysacek Evan Glacken: American figure skater, world champion, and Olympic gold medalist.
• Irene Glacken: Former athlete who specialized in the 400 meters and is a Hall of Fame inductee.
• Denise Glacken: American media executive and former CFO and COO of Hallmark Entertainment.
• Pat Glacken: Professional golfer who won the Irish Close Amateur in 2000.
• William Glacken: American aerospace engineer who invented the automatic pilot.
• Dan Glacken: Lead designer for the American Bandstand television stage design in the 1950s.
• Maureen Glacken: American figure skater and the 1997 US Silver Medalist.
• Corey Glacken: A former NASCAR driver who competed in races from 1998 to 1999.
• Joe Glacken: Former American football player who played as a linebacker with the Buffalo Bills and Bears.

Other surnames

GlackinGlackman