Given name & surname
Gaetano
“a man from Gaeta”
Gaetano is a variant of Gaetan. One Italian interpretation is “a man from Gaeta.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Gaetano is a variant of Gaetan. One Italian interpretation is “a man from Gaeta.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1904. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gaetano through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,861
- 3,861 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 87 babies
- 2025
- 27
- #3,979 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −2%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 27 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,979 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 1.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 87 in 1921. In 2025, Illinois had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,249 as a first name in 2020; 1,170 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gaetano’s family of names
In French usage, Gaetano has a diminutive in Nino. Gaetano shares a linguistic root with Cayetano. Gaetano has a related form in Gaetan.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gaetano has relatives in 11 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
11 related names in 11 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 15
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Gaetano
- Gaetano ScireaItalian footballer (1953-1989)
- Gaten MatarazzoAmerican actor (born 2002)
- Gaetano MoscaItalian political scientist and journalist (1858–1941)
- Saint Cajetan(1480–1547) Founder of the Theatines
- Gaetano CastrovilliItalian association football playerborn 1997
- Gaetano BresciItalian anarchist regicide of King Umberto I of Italy (1869-1901)
- Gaétan VestrisFrench ballet dancer (1729-1808)
- Gaetano D'AgostinoItalian footballerborn 1982
- Gaetano SalveminiItalian politician (1873–1957)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gaetano, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Delano
“from”
>99% boys
Donato
“a gift from God”
>99% boys
Giles
“resembling a young goal”
>99% boys
Porfirio
“refers to a purple coloring”
>99% boys
Cipriano
“a man from Cyprus”
>99% boys
Horace
“the keeper of time”
>99% boys
Rufus
“red(-haired )” · “a red-haired man”
>99% boys
Urban
“city-dweller” · “from the city”
>99% boys