Given name & surname · also Latin, Scandinavian
Gala
“a merrymaker; of the festive party”·“a singer”·“woman from Gaul”
Gala is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a merrymaker; of the festive party”, “a singer”, and “woman from Gaul”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a merrymaker; of the festive party”, “a singer”, and “woman from Gaul”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with French, Scandinavian, and Latin naming traditions.
How it developed
Gala is an affectionate form of Galina. In Slovenian usage, Gala is a feminine form of Gal.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1919. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gala through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,186
- 0 boys · 2,186 girls
- Most popular year
- 1965
- 99 babies
- 2025
- 71
- #2,495 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +36%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 71 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,495 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 36.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 99 in 1965. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (14). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,683 as a first name in 2020; 1,303 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.
Gala’s family of names
Gala is an affectionate form of Galina. In Slovenian usage, Gala is a feminine form of Gal. Gala has a related form in Gayla.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Gala
- GalaItalian singerborn 1975
- Gala León GarcíaSpanish tennis playerborn 1973
- Gala MontesMexican actress and singerborn 2000
- Gala GordonArgentine-English actress and modelborn 1991
- Gala ÉvoraSpanish actress and singerborn 1983
- Jala FahmyEgyptian actress (1962–2022)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gala, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Gina
“God is gracious” · “queen”
>99% girls
Carla
“a free woman” · “a small, strong woman”
>99% girls
Maura
“moor” · “dark, swarthy”
>99% girls
Ursula
“resembling a little bear”
>99% girls
Lora
“crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree”
>99% girls
Valarie
“strong and valiant”
>99% girls
Martina
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% girls
Lara
“lara” · “one who is protected; a cheerful woman”
>99% girls