Gladding
 | |
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Latin, French, English |
| Derivation | Gladius |
| Meaning | "Good friend" (Anglicanisation), "Sword" (Original Latin) |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Gladwin, Gladwyn, Gledwin, Gladine, Glading, Gladuin[1] |
Gladding is a surname of Latin, French, and English origin. The first people to hold the name Gladding lived in Cambrai, France. The name is assumed to originate from Petrus Gladius who was first documented in French marriage records dating to 1135. It has a close association with the Middle English surname Gladwin.
History
16th Century
Around the 16th century, the Gladding family started showing up in English immigration records, coming from France. In England, the name was written in records as Gladding and Gladwin interchangeably.
17th Century
The first Gladding in the United States was John Gladding (the first). He arrived at Rhode Island in the mid 17th century.[1][2]
19th-20th Century
Family Reunions
On two separate occasions, the Gladding family hosted a reunion on 1890 and 1900. Henry Coggeshall Gladding then decided to make a book about both reunions to commemorate the events as most people at the reunion would never see each other again. There was discussion of planning for a third reunion in 1905, but there is ambiguity to whether it happened or not due to the lack of documentation.
The events were hosted with the intent of finding every Gladding in the United States that was descended from John Gladding (the First) and was hosted by Henry Coggeshall Gladding. Henry asked for people to send a physical art piece, poem, or momento to be read at the reunion if they were unable to make it.
1890
The first reunion took place on August 27th, 1890 at the Grand Army Hall in Bristol, Rhode Island. About 100 people were in attendance for this gathering. At the start of the reunion, Hezekiah Butterworth invoked the divine blessing and read the poem In the Old Rhode Island Days. Also during the event then Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island, William T. C. Wardwell revealed himself to be married to be married to Lenora Frances Gladding.
1900
The second reunion took place on July 19th, 1900, also in Bristol, at the DeWolf Inn on Thames St. nearby the waterfront. Henry Coggswell sent out 500 invitations for this event. Music for the occasion was provided by Lavey's Orchestra. William T. C. Wardwell also was present at this event, welcoming everyone to Bristol. Hezekiah Butterworth was also present at this event, he read the poem Builders of Men. The event concluded with the singing of Auld Lang Syne, Star Spangled Banner, and America.
Distribution
People holding the surname Gladding typically reside in the United States, England, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia.
| 2014 distribution[3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Number | Ratio/freq | ||
 United States |
1,299 | 1:279,029 | ||
 England |
590 | 1:94,437 | ||
 New Zealand |
109 | 1:41,544 | ||
.svg.png){kind=small} Canada |
99 | 1:372,178 | ||
.svg.png){kind=small} Australia |
31 | 1:870,829 | ||
People with the Surname Gladding
- Charles Gladding (1828–1894), American co-founder of Gladding, McBean ceramics company
- Fred Gladding (1936 – 2015), American baseball player
- Jody Gladding, American translator and poet
- Monique Gladding (b. 1981), South African-born British diver
- Gary Gladding, American physicist
See Also
- ^ a b "The Gladding family, 1139-1765" (Book, Microfilm 35mm). FamilySearch (in French and English). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ Henry Coggeshall Gladding (1901). The Gladding Book: Being an Historical Record and Genealogical Chart of the Gladding Family, with Accounts of the Family Reunions of 1890 and 1900. Providence, Rhode Island: Henry Coggeshall Gladding. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ "Gladding Surname". Forebears.io. Retrieved August 17, 2025.