Gladys as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gladys

What is the meaning of the name Gladys ?

The baby name Gladys is a girl name 2 syllables long and is pronounced GLAD-iss.

Gladys is Welsh in Origin.

Gladys is a female given name of Welsh origin, meaning "land, nation" or "princess". It was first recorded in the 12th century as "Gwladus" and was popularized in the 19th century by the Welsh writer Sarah Jane Rees, who used it as the name of the protagonist in her novel "Gwenynen Gwent" (The Bee of Gwent). The name became popular in the United States in the early 20th century, peaking in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s.

The pronunciation of Gladys is GLAD-iss. The name is typically given to girls, although it has occasionally been used for boys. Famous bearers of the name include Gladys Knight, an American singer known as the "Empress of Soul", and Gladys Aylward, a British missionary who worked in China during the early 20th century. The name has also been used in popular culture, appearing in works such as the play "The Skin of Our Teeth" by Thornton Wilder and the novel "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The name Gladys is composed of two elements: "gwlad", meaning "land, nation", and "us", a Latin suffix meaning "belonging to". The name has a strong Welsh heritage and is associated with qualities such as strength, independence, and leadership. Despite its decline in popularity in recent years, Gladys remains a classic name with a rich history and cultural significance.