Gladys Name Meaning, Origin & Gender

Gladys Name at a Glance

Name	Gladys
Meaning	Derived from the old Welsh name Gwladys, a variant of Claudia, meaning lame. Also derived from the Welsh 'gwledig', meaning territorial ruler. Famous bearer: British actress Dame Gladys Cooper.
Origin	Welsh
Gender	Girl

What Does the Name Gladys Mean?

According to the information recorded in our baby name database, Gladys means “Derived from the old Welsh name Gwladys, a variant of Claudia, meaning lame. Also derived from the Welsh 'gwledig', meaning territorial ruler. Famous bearer: British actress Dame Gladys Cooper”. Name meanings can vary between languages, regions and naming traditions, so families may also wish to confirm a meaning within the cultural or linguistic context that matters to them.

Gladys Name Origin

Our database records Gladys under Welsh origin. Browse more Welsh baby names to compare other names in the same origin collection.

Is Gladys a Boy or Girl Name?

In our database, Gladys is listed as a girl name. Usage can differ across countries, languages and families.

Choosing the Name Gladys

When considering Gladys for a baby, you may want to compare its recorded meaning and origin with family traditions, pronunciation, spelling, initials, middle names and how the full name sounds with the family name.