Very interesting! I've never encountered a Portuguese
Gloria here in South
Africa, where we have quite a large Portuguese population - the former colonies of Mozambique and Angola are our neighbours. Is it still in use there?
And, on a different tack: what about
Queen Elizabeth I's nickname:
Gloriana? Surely there's no Catholic connection there! It must just have been a compliment; and I'd be surprised if
Gloria has never been used in a similar way.
Thanks for the interesting info, especially the
Shaw reference.