Gladys
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
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.
Gladys is also given to boys.
Pronounced GLAD-is.
As of October 2026, Gladys ranked #3224 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #11 in 1901.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,451 | 74 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #2,264 | 83 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #2,508 | 72 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #2,472 | 73 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #3,453 | 45 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #2,692 | 64 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #2,292 | 78 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #2,757 | 62 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #2,709 | 64 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #2,792 | 61 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #3,453 | 45 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #3,224 | 49 | — | 0 |
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Gladys.
Gladys on lists
Famous Gladyss
- Saint GladysGirl
Welsh queen of saint,king Gwynllyw Milwr, mother of Cadoc the Wise
- Gladys Maria KnightGirl
American singer of The Pips
- Gladys Constance CooperGirl
English actress
- Gladys MoncreiffGirl
Australian singer
- Gladys Blossom Noon SpellmanGirl
U.S. Congresswoman from Maryland
- Gladys HuletteGirl
American silent film actress
- Gladys May AylwardGirl
English missionary to China
- Gladys GillemGirl
American pro wrestler
- Gladys Medalie HeldmanGirl
American tennis promoter
- Gladys Louise SmithGirl
birth name of Mary Pickford, Canadian,American actress
- Gladys Love PresleyGirl
mother of singer Elvis Presley
- Gladys Pearl Baker MortensenGirl
mother of actress Marilyn Monroe
Gladys in pop culture
- Gladys EysenarchGirl
character in "Jezebel" by Irene Nemirovsky (1936)
- Gladys HerdmanGirl
character in "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson
- Gladys BiggsGirl
character in "Meet Mr Mulliner" (1927) by P. G. Wodehouse
- Gladys WorsleyGirl
character in "Sylvia Scarlett" (1918) by Compton Mackenzie, twin sister Enid
- Gladys KravitzGirl
neighbor on TV's "Bewitched"
- Gladys HilmanGirl
character in the "St Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
- Gladys WithamGirl
a well,to,do young woman working in a munitions factory in WWII,era Canada, on TV's "Bomb Girls" (2012,2014)
- GladysGirl
Flavia's bike in the Flavia de Luce saga
- GLADoSGirl
antagonist from the video game Portal
- Gladys HannahGirl
a character in "Fran Bow"
- Gladys GatsbyGirl
protagonist in the book "All Four Stars"