Gladys
Gladys was the 3224th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 49 babies. Its best year was 1901, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1920 (8,819). Over the last ten years it has moved down 959 places. More babies were named Gladys in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Welsh Gwladus (origin uncertain) · Welsh
Say it GLAD-iss /ˈɡlædɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,224 girls, down 931 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 49girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19208,819 babies
- Total since 1880
- 267,741babies recorded
What does the name Gladys mean?
Gladys is the anglicized form of Welsh Gwladus, as Wiktionary notes, the name of a 5th-century saint, Gwladys, wife of Saint Gwynllyw. Its origin is uncertain; it is perhaps connected with Welsh gwlad 'country, land'. It is often linked to Latin Claudia, but that is not established. Gladys became popular in Britain and the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Gwladus (Welsh, “Gladys”)gwlad (Welsh, “country, land (proposed)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Wiktionary: of uncertain origin.
Other explanations you may read: A Welsh form of Claudia.
Related names: Gwladys, Glad.
See also: Welsh names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gladys', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'gwlad' (Welsh section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Gladys popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,023 since 1895.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,224 | 49 |
| 2020 | #2,293 | 78 |
| 2010 | #1,950 | 103 |
| 2000 | #1,108 | 184 |
| 1990 | #529 | 448 |
| 1980 | #629 | 290 |
| 1970 | #523 | 366 |
| 1960 | #320 | 860 |
| 1950 | #182 | 1,526 |
| 1940 | #116 | 2,246 |
| 1930 | #48 | 5,066 |
| 1920 | #22 | 8,819 |
| 1910 | #15 | 3,842 |
| 1900 | #21 | 2,733 |
| 1890 | #82 | 525 |
| 1880 | #370 | 20 |
How popular is Gladys, counting every spelling?
Gladys is the most common spelling of a name family that had 60 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 60 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladys | 49 | #3,224 | 281 |
| Gladis | 11 | #9,065 | 61 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Gladys?
49 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gladys (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Gladys born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 171 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gladys.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gladys?
About 43,700 people born in the US named Gladys are alive today, with a median age of 73; half are between 57 and 83. That makes Gladys a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gladys by state
How common Gladys was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 46 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gladys: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gladys, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Gladys · Sibling names for Gladys
Questions about the name Gladys
What does Gladys mean?
Gladys is usually explained as “Welsh Gwladus (origin uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Gladys?
Gladys was the 3224th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 49 babies. Its best year was 1901, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1920 (8,819). Over the last ten years it has moved down 959 places. More babies were named Gladys in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Gladys a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Gladys in the US.
Where is Gladys most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gladys was most common in California (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Texas.