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Gala

Quick answerThe name Gala derives from the Latin word "gala," meaning festive celebration or elegant attire, and is also used as a diminutive form in some Slavic languages where it can mean "wave" or derive from words meaning "to sing." The name is used across multiple cultures including Spanish, Russian, and other European…

Russian · Girl · 2 syllables

G
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderGirl
US Rank#2,495
TrendStable
Peak year1965
Syllables2
OriginRussian
LanguageRussian
CultureRussian, Spanish
Letters4
Numerology3 Chaldean 8
Global rank#16

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Gala

The name Gala derives from the Latin word "gala," meaning festive celebration or elegant attire, and is also used as a diminutive form in some Slavic languages where it can mean "wave" or derive from words meaning "to sing." The name is used across multiple cultures including Spanish, Russian, and other European traditions, with notable modern associations including the Icelandic singer Gala Rizzatto and its adoption in Western contexts as a contemporary given name.

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The name Gala derives from the Latin word "gala," meaning festive celebration or elegant attire, and is also used as a diminutive form in some Slavic languages where it can mean "wave" or derive from words meaning "to sing." The name is used across multiple cultures including Spanish, Russian, and other European traditions, with notable modern associations including the Icelandic singer Gala Rizzatto and its adoption in Western contexts as a contemporary given name.

Gala currently ranks #2,495 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1965.

Themeswater

Variants & nicknames

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