Gladys is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Gladys means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Gladys across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Gladys has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Gladys is a girl name of Welsh origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, possibly nation or lame”. from the Welsh name Gwladys.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 267,741 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 93 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 30 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Gladys per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1921 (8,837/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2004 (8/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (4/yr).
Gladys has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1921, when it ranked #49 nationally (given to 8,837 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1920s.
Gladyce · Gwladys · Gladies · Gladis · Claudis · Glayds · Cledis · Gladyes
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