Gala: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,495

among girls · ↓222 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Gala · -13% vs 2024

How common

1 in 22,638

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1965

99 babies

All-time total

2,186

#4,441 all-time among girls

First recorded

1919

in Social Security records

Gala popularity over time

2,186 babies have been named Gala since 1919, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	6	1	–	#4,465
1920s	21	2	+250%	#4,259
1930s	61	6	+190%	#2,152
1940s	139	14	+128%	#2,361
1950s	247	25	+78%	#1,808
1960s	417	42	+69%	#1,056
1970s	182	18	-56%	#2,211
1980s	66	7	-64%	#5,652
1990s	93	9	+41%	#6,810
2000s	120	12	+29%	#6,720
2010s	460	46	+283%	#2,641
2020s (to 2025)	374	62	+36%	#2,273

Where Gala is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	78	0.05	outside top 500
2027	84	0.05	outside top 500
2028	89	0.06	outside top 500
2029	94	0.06	outside top 500
2030	99	0.06	outside top 500

Where Gala is most popular

Girls named Gala per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.041 per 1,000. Strongest in Florida, Texas, and California.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Gala born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Florida	60	0.140	+246%
Texas	71	0.088	+118%
California	63	0.075	+85%
Illinois	5	0.022	-46%
New York	6	0.015	-63%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Virginia	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Gala

Gala is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,495 in 2025 with 71 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1919, 2,186 American babies have been named Gala. Its peak came in 1965, when 99 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gala stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gala?

The median living Gala is about 29 years old; half are between 8 and 60. An estimated 2,000 people named Gala are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Gala year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	71	#2,495
2024	82	#2,273
2023	70	#2,528
2022	60	#2,834
2021	46	#3,408
2020	45	#3,417
2019	51	#3,138
2018	39	#3,807
2017	52	#3,108
2016	55	#3,028
2015	47	#3,402
2014	41	#3,738
2013	67	#2,641
2012	65	#2,718
2011	24	#5,613
2010	19	#6,736
2009	16	#7,804
2008	13	#9,143
2007	13	#9,179
2006	11	#10,137
2005	12	#9,079
2004	16	#7,193
2003	8	#11,677
2002	7	#12,663
2001	16	#6,720
2000	8	#11,076
1995	11	#7,695
1990	6	#11,869
1985	10	#6,612
1980	–	–
1975	14	#4,420
1970	36	#2,211
1965	99	#1,056
1960	27	#2,263
1955	25	#2,179
1950	16	#2,588
1945	13	#2,512
1940	10	#2,812
1935	9	#3,011
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Gala

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Gala Dalí Ex-wife of Paul Eluard and wife of Salvador Dali 1894–1982 · 19th century
2 Gala Italian singer b. 1975 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Gala, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Gala?

The median living Gala is about 29 years old. Half of all living Galas are between 8 and 60 years old.

How many people named Gala are alive today?

An estimated 2,000 people named Gala are alive in the United States, based on 2,186 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gala mean?

Gala is a feminine given name with multiple origins from different cultures.

How popular is the name Gala in 2025?

Gala ranked #2,495 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 71 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gala?

2,186 babies have been named Gala in the United States since 1919, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gala most popular?

Gala peaked in 1965, when 99 newborns received the name.

Is Gala a boy or girl name?

Gala is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Gala rising or falling?

Gala is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Gala become more popular?

Gala is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 99 girls named Gala in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Gala?

Well-known people named Gala include Gala Dalí (companion), Gala (singer).

Names like Gala

Names that sound and feel close to Gala: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Gala with similar names → More names starting with G →