Total births
266,718
Girls' name · since 1880
Gladys
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 266,718 babies named Gladys, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3460
- among girls today
- 266,718
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other girls
266,718 babies have been named Gladys since 1880, making it today's #3460 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gladys has been recorded 266,718 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #3460 nationally and more common than 80% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3460 among girls today
- 266,718 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 80% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gladys is currently the #3460 girls' name in America, more common than 80% of girls - 266,718 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3460
- among girls today
- 266,718
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other girls
Gladys vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3460
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 80% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Gladys was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
8,819 babies were named Gladys in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Gladys compares
266,718 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gladys's all-time total is 698x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gladys | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 266,718 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 8,819 | 48 | 19,840 |
Gladys's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gladys's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 9% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 91%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 20 births recorded -- set against the 1920 peak of 8,819, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gladys at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#3,460
Active since
1880
Gladys popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 8,819
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Gladys popularity over time - boys
1,023 total births recorded since 1895 (Gladys as boys' name)
Gladys by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Gladys's strongest decade.
72,561 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Gladys births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,420
1880s
1,420 births
- 1890s 13,622
1890s
13,622 births
- 1900s
1900s
30,285 births
- 1910s
1910s
65,812 births
- 1920s
1920s
72,561 births
- 1930s
1930s
34,762 births
- 1940s 19,063
1940s
19,063 births
- 1950s 12,181
1950s
12,181 births
- 1960s 5,948
1960s
5,948 births
- 1970s 2,766
1970s
2,766 births
- 1980s 2,509
1980s
2,509 births
- 1990s 2,918
1990s
2,918 births
- 2000s 1,767
2000s
1,767 births
- 2010s 745
2010s
745 births
- 2020s 359
2020s
359 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 72,561 births (27% of all-time use).
How Gladys compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Gladys's total volume
Gladys vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Gladys by state
Where Gladys concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 16,420 | 6.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 13,445 | 5.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 13,373 | 5.0% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 10,727 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 9,513 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 8,986 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 8,527 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 7,920 | 3.0% |
New York share of Gladys's total US births 6.2%
Even split
16,420 of 266,718 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Gladys appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gladys? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 266,718 babies named Gladys. Today it holds rank #3460 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 8,819 births.
When was Gladys most popular? ▼
Gladys was most popular in the 1920s decade with 72,561 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Gladys most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gladys are New York (16,420 births), Pennsylvania (13,445 births), Texas (13,373 births).
How long has the name Gladys been used? ▼
Records for Gladys go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Gladys? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gladis, Gladyce, Glady, Glada, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Gladys's data
- Gladys's decade-level peak was the 1920s (72,561 total births); usage has since declined to 359 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Gladyss (16,420 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gladys
Nearby Names Like Gladys
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gladys
Gladis Girl
#9585 3,071 births
Gladyce Girl
1,006 births
Glady Girl
538 births
Glada Girl
486 births
Gladies Girl
408 births
Compare Gladys side by side: Gladys vs Gladis Gladys vs Gladyce Gladys vs Glady
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gladys
Pauline #3459
226,404 births · Peak 1918
Alyce #3461
17,539 births · Peak 1921
Aylany #3458
190 births · Peak 2025
Delila #3462
3,574 births · Peak 2008
Arzoyi #3457
168 births · Peak 2024
Gretchen #3463
53,799 births · Peak 1973
Khalyla #3456
228 births · Peak 2024
Christy #3464
98,576 births · Peak 1975
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gladys: #3460 Girls' Name - 266,718 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gladys. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gladys draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.