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Gladys

Gladys is a girl's name of Irish and Celtic origin meaning “country.” Its exact origin is debated among name scholars. In 2024 it was given to 45 girls in the United States.

Gladys at a glance

Gender
Girl name
Origin
Irish & Celtic
Meaning
“country”
Pronunciation
/ˈɡlædɪs/
Also spelled
Claudia

About the name Gladys

Gladys belongs to the Irish & Celtic tradition. Its meaning — “country” — is the sense carried by its Irish and Celtic roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Claudia.

In the United States, Gladys first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #11 in 1901, and in 2024 45 babies received the name — 266,666 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Gladys in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#11 in 1901
Peak year
1920
Babies named Gladys in 2024
45
Total since 1880
266,666

Spellings & short forms

Claudia

Similar names

More names from the Irish & Celtic shelf:

JenniferIrish and CelticBrendaIrish and CelticCarolynIrish and CelticMeganIrish and CelticBrittanyIrish and CelticAnnieIrish and CelticBonnieIrish and CelticErinIrish and Celtic

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Gladys mean?

Gladys means “country” in its Irish and Celtic roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Gladys a boy or girl name?

Gladys is a girl name. In 2024, 45 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Gladys?

Gladys comes from the Irish & Celtic tradition. It is also spelled Claudia.

How popular is the name Gladys?

Gladys first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #11 in 1901, and 45 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Gladys?

Gladys is pronounced /ˈɡlædɪs/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.