Gala
Girl name · #2487 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Gala? In official American birth records, Gala has been tracked continuously since 1919, giving it 106 years of documented American history.
Gala is currently the #2487 girl name in the United States — 71 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3389, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 25,352 girls born in 2025 was named Gala.
Babies named Gala per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 106-year story
Gala first appears in the Social Security records in 1919, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1965, when 99 girls were named Gala — good for #1055 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Gala against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Gala in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Gala is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Gala will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Gala is most common
Geography matters for names, and Gala is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Gala is most common in FL (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Gala is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Gala
Statistically, parents drawn to Gala tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gigi, Zena, Edie, Greta, and Twyla.
GigiZenaEdieGretaTwylaMoiraEnolaLuana
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Gala | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 71 | #2485 |
| 2024 | 82 | #2265 |
| 2023 | 70 | #2517 |
| 2022 | 60 | #2821 |
| 2021 | 46 | #3390 |
| 2020 | 45 | #3399 |
| 2019 | 51 | #3130 |
| 2018 | 39 | #3789 |
| 2017 | 52 | #3091 |
| 2016 | 55 | #3010 |
| 2015 | 47 | #3389 |
| 2014 | 41 | #3719 |
| 2013 | 67 | #2626 |
| 2012 | 65 | #2708 |
| 2011 | 24 | #5543 |
| 2010 | 19 | #6641 |
| 2009 | 16 | #7679 |
| 2008 | 13 | #8965 |
| 2007 | 13 | #9007 |
| 2006 | 11 | #9901 |
| 2005 | 12 | #8883 |
| 2004 | 16 | #7077 |
| 2003 | 8 | #11325 |
| 2002 | 7 | #12187 |
| 2001 | 16 | #6619 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Gala?
In official American birth records, the name Gala first appeared in 1919 (over 106 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 106 years.
Is Gala a popular girl name?
Gala ranked #2487 among girls in 2025 with 71 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3389.
When was the name Gala most popular?
Gala peaked in 1965, when 99 American girls received the name (ranked #1055 that year). Since 1965 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Gala?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 25,352 newborn American girls was named Gala. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.