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Home › Baby Names Directory › Gladys

Gladys

♀ Girl

Pronounced GLAD-is /ˈɡlæd.ɪs/High

Meaning: From Welsh Gwladus, possibly from gwlad, 'country, land', or a Welsh form of ClaudiaMedium

In 30 seconds: A Welsh medieval queen's name that conquered Edwardian England and rode the Midnight Train with Motown: Gladys waits, gloriously unfashionable, for her second act.
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Origin MediumWelsh
MeaningFrom Welsh Gwladus, possibly from gwlad, 'country, land', or a Welsh form of Claudia
U.S. rank (2025)#3224 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births49 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1920
Total births (all-time)≈ 266,715

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192018802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Gladys anglicizes Welsh Gwladus, a name borne by medieval Welsh royalty including the daughter of the legendary King Brychan; its root is debated between gwlad, 'country, land', and a Welsh rendering of Latin Claudia. Victorian novels carried it out of Wales, and by 1900 it ranked among the English-speaking world's favorites.

Gladys Knight gave the name its soul-music immortality. After near-total eclipse, it now sits where Mabel and Edith sat a decade ago — one brave generation away from a comeback.

Did you know? Gladys Knight earned her title 'Empress of Soul' across seven decades of performing — she sang at the 1952 Ted Mack Amateur Hour at age eight.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name — Gladys — etymology, debated

Variations

GwladusGwladysGladyce

Nicknames

GladdieGlad

Famous Bearers

  • ★Gladys Knight (1944–present)
    American singer, the 'Empress of Soul', leader of Gladys Knight and the Pips.

If you like Gladys…

Mabel— a fellow great-grandmother name returning to favor
Edith— the Edwardian companion already revived
Doris— another midcentury staple awaiting its turn
Gwendolyn— the Welsh sister with the same heritage

Explore names like Gladys

By themevintagewelsh

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Gladys mean?

Gladys comes from Welsh Gwladus, possibly from gwlad, 'country, land', or as a Welsh form of Claudia; the origin is debated.

How do you pronounce Gladys?

It's said GLAD-is /ˈɡlæd.ɪs/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Gladys a boy or girl name?

Gladys is a girl's name.

How popular is Gladys?

Gladys is rare for newborns today, a century past its Edwardian peak and ripe for revival.

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