Gladis

Meaning & origin

Gladis is an alternate spelling of Gladys, a name that enjoyed its peak popularity in the early 1900s. According to Social Security Administration data, Gladis first appeared in records in 1898, reached its highest rank of 886 in 1909 (with a 1-in-146,115 frequency in the latest year), and has been declining in use since 1994. While it never achieved the widespread use of Gladys, it was part of a wave of Welsh-origin names that entered English-speaking households in the late 19th century. The name's trajectory reflects broader naming trends: Gladys and its variants fell out of favor mid-century and have not seen a significant revival. Top states for this name in its peak years are not listed in the data, but it likely followed patterns similar to Gladys, which was common in the Midwest and Northeast. Despite its rarity today, Gladis offers a distinctive historical alternative to the more common Gladys.

Gladis is a variant spelling of Gladys, which itself comes from the Welsh name Gwladus. Gwladus is of uncertain etymology, but it is often associated with the Welsh word gwlad, meaning "country, nation," or interpreted as "princess." The name Gladys gained popularity in the English-speaking world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Gladis emerged as a less common alternate spelling during that period.