Gladys
About Gladys
Hard as it might be to believe, Gladys was the Harper of 1900, emerging almost out of nowhere to take the naming world by storm. It became a favorite among parents — and writers of romantic Edwardian novels, seen as alluring and unusual. One impetus was the 1870 Ouida novel Puck, whose heroine was the idealized beauty, Gladys Gerant.
Gladys reached as high as Number 11 at the turn of the last century, popular along with other s-ending names such as Doris. Though Gladys hasn't shown any signs of revival yet, some parents might respond to the 'glad'ness of it, and its gladiola-flower feel.
It's been associated in the U.S. with singer Gladys Knight.
As of October 2026, Gladys ranked #3224 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #11 in 1901, Nameberry popularity #764.
Editor's take: The name Gladys is a girl's name of Welsh origin meaning "land, nation".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,451 | 74 | 41.4 |
| 2015 | #2,264 | 83 | 46.5 |
| 2016 | #2,508 | 72 | 40.6 |
| 2017 | #2,472 | 73 | 42.3 |
| 2018 | #3,453 | 45 | 26.5 |
| 2019 | #2,692 | 64 | 38.1 |
| 2020 | #2,292 | 78 | 48.3 |
| 2021 | #2,757 | 62 | 37.8 |
| 2022 | #2,709 | 64 | 39 |
| 2023 | #2,792 | 61 | 38 |
| 2024 | #3,453 | 45 | 27.8 |
| 2025 | #3,224 | 49 | 30.5 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Gladys.
- Alberta
- Shirley
- Geraldine
- Edna
- Wilma
- Roberta
- Bernice
- Bessie
- Francine
- Thelma
- Doris
- Norma
- Mildred
- Pauline
- Georgienne
- Dora
- Maryellen
- Phyllis
- Georgette
- Mamie
Gladys on lists
Famous Gladyss
- Saint Gladys
Welsh queen of saint,king Gwynllyw Milwr, mother of Cadoc the Wise
- Gladys Maria Knight
American singer of The Pips
- Gladys Constance Cooper
English actress
- Gladys Moncreiff
Australian singer
- Gladys Blossom Noon Spellman
U.S. Congresswoman from Maryland
- Gladys Hulette
American silent film actress
- Gladys May Aylward
English missionary to China
- Gladys Gillem
American pro wrestler
- Gladys Medalie Heldman
American tennis promoter
- Gladys Louise Smith
birth name of Mary Pickford, Canadian,American actress
- Gladys Love Presley
mother of singer Elvis Presley
- Gladys Pearl Baker Mortensen
mother of actress Marilyn Monroe
Gladys in pop culture
- Gladys Eysenarch
character in "Jezebel" by Irene Nemirovsky (1936)
- Gladys Herdman
character in "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson
- Gladys Biggs
character in "Meet Mr Mulliner" (1927) by P. G. Wodehouse
- Gladys Worsley
character in "Sylvia Scarlett" (1918) by Compton Mackenzie, twin sister Enid
- Gladys Kravitz
neighbor on TV's "Bewitched"
- Gladys Hilman
character in the "St Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
- Gladys Witham
a well,to,do young woman working in a munitions factory in WWII,era Canada, on TV's "Bomb Girls" (2012,2014)
- Gladys
Flavia's bike in the Flavia de Luce saga
- GLADoS
antagonist from the video game Portal
- Gladys Hannah
a character in "Fran Bow"
- Gladys Gatsby
protagonist in the book "All Four Stars"
Variations & nicknames
- Happy
- Hap