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The Glenns are of Scotch-Irish descent. Originating in the lowlands of Scotland, they migrated to Northern Ireland. From there they settled in Pennsylvania. My line moved into current West Virginia, then to south central North Carolina, finally settling in York County South Carolina.
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There is a lot of literature available providing much context to the origin of the Glenns. There seems to have been 3 separate Glen families towards the end of the 1200's, two in Scotland (Peebles and Renfrewshire) and one in England (Leicestershire). My line is of the Renfrewshire household from Scotland, likely the same as the individual who wrote the summary above. Sometime around the 1500's, some of the Glens moved to Ireland, but I believe my direct ancestors remained in the Linlithgow/Stirlingshire area. It is said that about 40 Glen(n)s immigrated to America and all but three were from the Renfrewshire line. Thomas Allen Glenn traces this line to Robert Brus, I King of Scotland through his illegitimate daughter, Margaret, who married Robert de Glen.
My ancestors likely settled in Albemarle, VA around the 1660's, not too far from Jamestown actually, and I believe they previously resided in Stirlingshire, Scotland. My 5th great-grandfather, David, was a pioneer and settled Harrodstown, KY in 1774; Squire Boone, Daniel's younger brother, is listed as a town resident along with David Glenn in 1777.
John Glenn, the late astronaut, was from the Irish line who came through Pennsylvania and James Glen, governor of South Carolina during the revolution, was from the Scotland line.