In French, name Gladys means – Variant of Claudia: A feminine form of Claud, a variant of the Latin Claudium meaning lame. Claudia was mentioned in the book of Timothy in the New Testament, and has been common in the English-speaking world since the 16th century.. Other origins for name Gladys include – French, English, Welsh. Name Gladys is most often used as a girl name or female name.