Girls name - Gladys?

[Sheffield2000]

I'm pregnant with my second daughter. Our first is Elsie (middle name Alice). My husband and I have always liked the name Gladys and are thinking of naming our second daughter this.

To me, its cute whilst baby is little and she grows up I like to think of it as a strong, and elegant name. I also like that it's unique and there are not lots of Gladys's out there. But on the other hand, i'm getting myself a bit worried that its a name that a lot of people do not like. I try to stay away from forums, yet here I am positing on one, worrying about the negative comments people have posted about this name in previous threads! For anyone else who likes Gladys, what middle name do you think could match well with it? Elsie was such an easy choice, it was always our favourite name. We are really struggling to be confident with our choice this time!

I know a young Glynis, which is nice.

I’m not keen. For some reason Gladys hasn’t stood the test of time as well as some other older names. To me, it’s the kind of name someone uses in a joke.

Elsie is cute, and can always be ‘extended’ to Elsa if wished, but Gladys just isn’t the same and I think has a different feel to Elsie.

So - how about:

Dora
Coral
Margaret
Marguerite
Maude
Violet
Inez
Edith nn Edie
Beatrice

If you do choose Gladys, then I think good middle names would be Elizabeth, Margaret or Mary.

I love it, always thought it was a bit of a hidden gem. Also love Gloria.

Your post has made me smile so much, @Sheffield2000! When I was growing up, we lived next door to my mum's two aunts, who had raised her after her own mum died, and they were called Gladys and Elsie. Auntie Elsie was the funny, silly one, very young at heart, and Auntie Gladys was very quiet and gentle and sensible, but they were both so incredibly kind. The two names go together perfectly for me because whenever I see one, I think of the other and of my two amazing great aunties.

Just noticed that you asked about middle names. Sticking with 'my' Gladys and Elsie's family for inspiration, Elsie's was Maria, pronounced like Mariah Carey. Gladys didn't have a middle name, for some reason, but their other siblings were Esther Mary and Harriet Ann.

Georgia’s a lovely name

Gladys is dreadful, there aren't many around for a reason. There are some lovely 'vintage' names but Gladys isn't one of them and definitely not elegant.

I really like Gladys. It sounds cheerful and elegant to me. There are a few Irises around and i think its prettier than Iris but a similar ending. I also much prefer it to Gloria!

My lovely grandmother was Gladys Mary. I can't say I like the name, but she was awesome.

Please no. It’s awful.

DHs Nan was Gwladys, didn’t like that spelling and don’t like Gladys either
I think you’ll get lots of raised eyebrows at the name
Sorry , but not my baby , not my choice

I really don’t like the name Gladys

Someone's got to bring Gladys back! It's definitely of the vintage that's getting more popular now. Olive, Ada, Elsie etc get a lot of love, why not Gladys?

Sorry do not like it at all.

It does sound rather old fashioned. I wouldn't.

If you can be not to, please dont slumber your beautiful baby with this name.

Horrible, don’t saddle the poor child with it

Please don't. It's really not a nice name. There are so many lovely names out there but this really isn't one of them.

Further to my previous post, about my lovely Nana, Gladys Lucy
She hated her name and always said she wished her parents had called her Lucy. When we were expecting our first child we chose Lucy - if what came out was female. But he was a boy so we called him James!
She had many siblings - brothers David, Samuel, Theophelus and George. (3 out of 4 still popular today) Sisters Phyllis, Olive and Hazel. (Not so much!)
It would seem that boys names are less prone to fashion and phases than girls names.

My very favourite great aunt was a Gladys and she was a wonderful woman, worked in a munitions factory in the war and then went on to a nursing career, which she gave up to rescue her sister from a mental institution. They ended up living in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere and were locally famous for rescuing unwanted pets, visiting them as a child was always an adventure!

So yes to Gladys from me, she was from a big family her sisters that I can remember were called, Freda, Muriel, Maude and Doris all of which I think would also go well with Elsie.

Yuck. Sorry.

It's not a name that is going to come back.

I like so called old lady names, and I'd go for ones that aren't fashionable, such as Beryl, but Gladys is just awful.

Gloria is lovely, so is Gwyneth.

Lots of nicer suggestions on the thread!

I like it! People probably thought names like Elsie, Nancy and Pearl were old lady names that would never come back, and now they’re quite popular again. No reason why Gladys can’t be the same.

Cruel.