Gladys

Gladys: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “land; nation”
Origin: Welsh
Say it: GLAD-is · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

Anglicized form of the Welsh name Gwladus, probably related to gwlad meaning 'country, land, nation.' It was borne by medieval Welsh noblewomen.

Welsh names English names Names meaning earth Names meaning noble Vintage names Classic names

How popular is Gladys?

202413.5 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Gladys in 202445

2024 rank#3,443 girls

Peak year1901

Total US babies since 1880267,689

Gladys is steady now but far below its 1901 peak.

Names like Gladys

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Morgansea-born; sea-circle · Welsh
Jenniferfair one, white phantom · Welsh
Gwendolynwhite ring · Welsh
Brynnhill · Welsh
Meredithgreat lord · Welsh
Meganpearl · Welsh
Winniefair and blessed · Welsh
Rowynwhite spear · Welsh

Gladys questions

What does the name Gladys mean?

Gladys means "land; nation". It comes from Welsh. Anglicized form of the Welsh name Gwladus, probably related to gwlad meaning 'country, land, nation.' It was borne by medieval Welsh noblewomen.

Is Gladys a boy or girl name?

Gladys is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Gladys?

45 US babies were named Gladys in 2024. Its peak year was 1901.

How do you pronounce Gladys?

Gladys is usually pronounced GLAD-is.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.