Gladys Girl

Popularity: #899 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: GLAD-iss //ˈɡlædɪs//

Origin: Greek; Welsh

Meaning: Greek: illustrious; Welsh: land

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Gladys has its roots in the Welsh language, derived from the word "glad" meaning "land" or "country". It is believed to have originated from the Old Welsh name "Gwladyss", which was a feminine form of the masculine name "Gwlady", meaning "land" or "nation".

The name made its way into English through the influence of Welsh culture, particularly during the 19th century when Welsh names began to gain popularity outside of Wales due to the Romantic movement and a growing interest in Celtic heritage. Historically, the name Gladys is often associated with the legend of King Arthur, particularly through the character of Gladys, who appears in some medieval texts as a figure connected to Arthurian lore.

The name gained further prominence in the early 20th century, particularly after the publication of the novel "The Welsh Fairy Book" in 1907, which featured the name. Additionally, the name was popularized by the character Gladys in the 1910 musical "The Girl from Utah" by George Edwardes, which contributed to its recognition in English-speaking countries.

Culturally, Gladys has been associated with themes of beauty and grace, often embodying a sense of nobility and strength. The name has also been linked to various literary and artistic works, reinforcing its resonance in cultural narratives.

A notable diminutive form is "Glynis", which has also been used historically. Overall, the name Gladys reflects a rich tapestry of linguistic evolution and cultural significance, embodying both its Welsh origins and its journey into broader English usage.

Famous people named Gladys

In this section, you will find notable people named Gladys. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Gladys who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Gladys who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Gladys Knight is a singer best known for Midnight Train to Georgia, Neither One of Us, and If I Were Your Woman.

Gladys Pugh is a television personality best known for her role on the reality show The Real Housewives of Cheshire.

Fictional characters named Gladys

The following list of fictional characters named Gladys is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Gladys is a fictional character from the video game series Portal. She is an artificial intelligence that oversees the Aperture Science facility and serves as both a guide and antagonist to the player.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Gladys, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

ClaraMabelEdithDorothyEthelLillian

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Gladys. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

ClaudiaLydiaSylviaAliceHazelIrisOpal

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Gladys was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Gladys has ranked as high as #49 nationally, which occurred in 1921, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia.

In the past 5 years the name Gladys has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Gladys is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Gladys was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Gladys.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 49 0 49
2024 45 0 45
2023 61 0 61
2022 64 0 64
2021 62 0 62
2020 78 0 78
2019 64 0 64
2018 45 0 45
2017 73 0 73
2016 72 0 72
2015 83 0 83
2014 74 0 74
2013 69 0 69
2012 81 0 81
2011 81 0 81
2010 103 0 103
2009 120 0 120
2008 135 0 135
2007 160 0 160
2006 207 0 207
2005 203 0 203
2004 186 0 186
2003 190 0 190
2002 198 0 198
2001 184 0 184
2000 184 0 184
1999 214 0 214
1998 192 0 192
1997 250 0 250
1996 277 0 277
1995 282 0 282
1994 288 0 288
1993 322 0 322
1992 313 0 313
1991 337 5 332
1990 448 0 448
1989 265 0 265
1988 243 0 243
1987 242 6 236
1986 231 0 231
1985 256 0 256
1984 226 0 226
1983 221 5 216
1982 291 0 291
1981 261 6 255
1980 290 0 290
1979 237 0 237
1978 201 0 201
1977 270 0 270
1976 262 5 257
1975 310 0 310
1974 268 0 268
1973 270 0 270
1972 244 0 244
1971 343 0 343
1970 371 5 366
1969 398 0 398
1968 381 0 381
1967 441 0 441
1966 434 0 434
1965 581 0 581
1964 625 0 625
1963 696 6 690
1962 714 0 714
1961 824 0 824
1960 860 0 860
1959 850 6 844
1958 960 5 955
1957 1,068 0 1,068
1956 1,179 5 1,174
1955 1,232 6 1,226
1954 1,273 9 1,264
1953 1,369 0 1,369
1952 1,309 5 1,304
1951 1,456 5 1,451
1950 1,526 0 1,526
1949 1,554 9 1,545
1948 1,608 6 1,602
1947 1,819 0 1,819
1946 1,721 6 1,715
1945 1,708 0 1,708
1944 1,908 7 1,901
1943 2,113 0 2,113
1942 2,199 7 2,192
1941 2,238 16 2,222
1940 2,257 11 2,246
1939 2,437 22 2,415
1938 2,607 16 2,591
1937 2,890 18 2,872
1936 2,958 14 2,944
1935 3,163 16 3,147
1934 3,638 27 3,611
1933 3,613 32 3,581
1932 4,201 16 4,185
1931 4,380 30 4,350
1930 5,091 25 5,066
1929 5,350 23 5,327
1928 5,823 32 5,791
1927 6,456 38 6,418
1926 6,661 27 6,634
1925 7,260 29 7,231
1924 7,810 20 7,790
1923 7,720 25 7,695
1922 8,063 21 8,042
1921 8,837 23 8,814
1920 8,832 13 8,819
1919 8,741 24 8,717
1918 8,759 25 8,734
1917 8,109 34 8,075
1916 8,049 30 8,019
1915 7,886 29 7,857
1914 6,260 33 6,227
1913 5,447 19 5,428
1912 4,998 18 4,980
1911 3,947 14 3,933
1910 3,862 20 3,842
1909 3,550 12 3,538
1908 3,596 16 3,580
1907 3,317 14 3,303
1906 3,012 12 3,000
1905 3,013 17 2,996
1904 2,987 11 2,976
1903 2,686 12 2,674
1902 2,821 12 2,809
1901 2,686 10 2,676
1900 2,749 16 2,733
1899 2,236 8 2,228
1898 2,145 9 2,136
1897 1,746 9 1,737
1896 1,762 5 1,757
1895 1,470 6 1,464
1894 1,258 0 1,258
1893 1,017 0 1,017
1892 867 0 867
1891 633 0 633
1890 525 0 525
1889 414 0 414
1888 314 0 314
1887 201 0 201
1886 131 0 131
1885 91 0 91
1884 92 0 92
1883 71 0 71
1882 46 0 46
1881 40 0 40
1880 20 0 20

Top States for Gladys (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 10
63%
NY 6
38%