Girls name - Gladys?

Yes she will probably be the only one of her age with that name - because it's unpopular for a reason. There are so many beautiful female names out there. If you like vintage names, how about:

Sylvia
Ivy
Iris
Joy
Agnes
Audrey
Celeste
Estelle
Esther
Beatrice
Emmeline

...just off the top of my head. Elsie is beautiful, Gladys to me is in the same league as Brenda, Bertha, Maureen, Doris etc

drina27
What I was trying to say is that luckily, many parents aren't traditionalists when it comes to names. Or we'd be stuck with the same old boring names for centuries.

No don't.
It was my Grandmothers name and although I loved her dearly I couldn't even bring myself to pass her first name onto my own daughter ( I did use a version of her middle name). Strong yep and out to run the world yep so not all bad but
It's not elegant or pretty in anyway it comes from a time when some very ugly names were given to girls especially it seems when boys were wanted!
Oh but just in case you really are serious it's the name of a baby in a rather popular book at the moment called the single thread . It's set in the 1930s.

Olivia and Jack beg to disagree - once they work out what you are trying to say.

ElektraPlektra

Fortunately for children most parents are traditionalists when it comes to naming offspring

I don't think this is fortunate actually. Many parents choose unusual names for their children, which is why names that are common go out of fashion and vice versa.

Eh?

Omg I know old lady names are in and some are cute. But Gladys really isn't one of them!

Haven’t RTFT but I absolutely love Gladys. I did name a cat Gladys which I don’t know if helps, but I think it’s pretty, wise, feminine, kind. I agree it would suit different ages. I understand your jitters as it’s not for everyone but I sooo love it.

My sister is called this, she hated it as a young adult. I really think she still doesn’t like like people her name
She’s now 66

No, not OK @NoSauce. Not just rude but lazy as well. And no apology to OP.

Not keen, it’s an old woman’s name but not one of the names that has come back in vogue. I think it belongs in the 1940s.

Most people called her Glad; can you imagine the jokes your future daughter will have to endure at school? ('Are you glad about that Glad?)

And I'm feeling (clap clap) Glad all over!

I read the title and decided it was a wind up as it was such a dreadful name.

Ok????

I'm pregnant with my second daughter. Our first is Elsie (middle name Alice).

It’s the second sentence of the opening post. Hardly much effort to read it NoSauce!

Completely failing to notice OP’s firstborn is called Elsie

Yes. Obviously

Names of that vintage fall into two groups, the Granny Chic and the others. The two groups are perceived rather differently.

But, but, but ... as this thread clearly shows, people 'perceive' names in very different ways. Some people admire Edith and Olive; some prefer Maud or Gladys. It's up to them, entirely. What's chic or not is partly fashion, but also very much in the eye of the beholder.

Please don't do that to your child! It's awful!
It was my mum's name, and she hated it. Absolutely hated it, from she was a small child until she died in her 80s, and she'd often say she wished her mum had chosen something prettier. There are so many other lovely old fashioned names, I'm sure you could pick a nicer one!

Fortunately for children most parents are traditionalists when it comes to naming offspring.
I don't think this is fortunate actually. Many parents choose unusual names for their children, which is why names that are common go out of fashion and vice versa.
I think it's wonderful when children aren't given one of the trendy names of the moment.
Gladys takes a bit of getting used to but I think it will sound quite nice. Her peers will hardly know anyone else called Gladys and therefore won't have the old lady connotation.

Granny chic is massive where I live, probably to counteract the Kylies and Chardonnays. Next door neighbours’ little girl is Olive. I don’t think it’s anywhere near its peak and Gladys is going to become very popular in the next few years. I can’t believe anyone thinks Sybil is better!

Fortunately for children most parents are traditionalists when it comes to naming offspring. (However, most swerve away from the “Granny Chic” variety.)

Names of that vintage fall into two groups, the Granny Chic and the others. The two groups are perceived rather differently.

Granny Chic:
Elsie
Ivy
Mabel
Violet
Iris
Maud

Others:
Gladys
Mavis
Maureen
Doreen
Beryl

The top boys’ and girls’ names in Scotland in 2019 are Jack and Olivia. In England they are Mohammed and Olivia.

I was responding to the poster above me talking about Elsie

Completely failing to notice OP’s firstborn is called Elsie?

All the so-called “old lady” names are unsuitable for modern children. They have been used by some parents who imagine they are trendy - and yet often the full name is abbreviated by them to a more palatable, modern alternative eg Edith to Edi.

Just why?

I always think of the P.G. Wodehouse story where Bertie Wooster goes out with a very glamorous character named Gwladys, and Aunt Dahlia says, "Not Gwladys? Listen Bertie, no good can come of an association with anyone labelled Gwladys or Ysobel or Ethyl or Mabelle or Kathryn. But particularly Gwladys." But that was really a commentary on the spelling using a 'w.'

Anyway, I love the story. Gwladys is an artist who's a fast but terrible driver and paints a very unflattering portrait of Aunt Agatha. Needless to say, she doesn't end up with Bertie.

Complete digression.