Gladys
The Welsh Gwladus, of uncertain origin, sometimes tied to gwlad, “country.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Gladys appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1889 to 1937. Its biggest year was 1920, when 8,819 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 22 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1901, at No. 11. All told, 267,741 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Gladis (3,076), Gladyce (1,006) (total births since 1880)
Explore Gladys interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,420 | No. 96 |
| 1890s | 13,622 | No. 20 |
| 1900s | 30,285 | No. 11 |
| 1910s | 65,812 | No. 15 |
| 1920s | 72,561 | No. 22 |
| 1930s | 34,762 | No. 48 |
| 1940s | 19,063 | No. 116 |
| 1950s | 12,181 | No. 182 |
| 1960s | 5,948 | No. 320 |
| 1970s | 2,766 | No. 522 |
| 1980s | 2,509 | No. 618 |
| 1990s | 2,918 | No. 529 |
| 2000s | 1,767 | No. 1073 |
| 2010s | 745 | No. 1942 |
| 2020s | 359 | No. 2277 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.