Total births
2,186
Girls' name · since 1919
Gala
2,186 babies named Gala in U.S. Social Security records since 1919, with the highest year being 1965. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2271
- among girls today
- 2,186
- born since 1919
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Gala is the #2271 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 2,186 recorded since 1919.
Social Security Administration records show Gala recorded 2,186 times among girls since 1919, holding rank #2271 nationally today, ahead of 87% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2025.
- #2271 among girls today
- 2,186 born since 1919
- 2010s peak decade
- 87% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gala is currently the #2271 girls' name in America, more common than 87% of girls - 2,186 born since 1919, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2271
- among girls today
- 2,186
- born since 1919
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other girls
Gala vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2271
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 87% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Gala was born in this single decade.
1965
Single peak year
99 babies were named Gala in 1965 - its busiest year on record.
How Gala compares
2,186 Top 21% higher than 79% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gala's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gala | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,186 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 99 | 48 | 19,840 |
Gala's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Gala splits its recorded history at 1975: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1923 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1965 peak of 99 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Gala at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1965
Current rank
#2,271
Active since
1919
Gala popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2025
- Peak year (1965)
- 99
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Gala by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Gala's strongest decade.
460 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Gala births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 21
1920s
21 births
- 1930s 61
1930s
61 births
- 1940s 139
1940s
139 births
- 1950s
1950s
247 births
- 1960s
1960s
417 births
- 1970s 182
1970s
182 births
- 1980s 66
1980s
66 births
- 1990s 93
1990s
93 births
- 2000s 120
2000s
120 births
- 2010s
2010s
460 births
- 2020s
2020s
374 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 460 births (21% of all-time use).
How Gala compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Gala's total volume
Gala vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Gala by state
Where Gala concentrates geographically, total births since 1919
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 319 | 14.6% |
| #2 | California | | 222 | 10.2% |
| #3 | Florida | | 78 | 3.6% |
| #4 | New York | | 17 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 14 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 13 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 11 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 10 | 0.5% |
Texas share of Gala's total US births 14.6%
Even split
319 of 2,186 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Gala appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gala? ▼
Gala has been given to 2,186 babies in the U.S. since 1919, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2271 as of the latest data. 99 babies were born in 1965, its single highest year.
When was Gala most popular? ▼
Gala was most popular in the 2010s decade with 460 total births. The single peak year was 1965.
Where is Gala most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gala are Texas (319 births), California (222 births), Florida (78 births).
How long has the name Gala been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Gala since 1919 -- 107 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Gala? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gale, Galilea, Galilee, Galia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Gala's data
- Gala's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (460 total births) through the 2020s (374) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Galas (319 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gala
Nearby Names Like Gala
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gala
Gale Girl
19,906 births
Galilea Girl
#642 9,309 births
Galilee Girl
#3040 648 births
Galia Girl
#3713 594 births
Galen Girl
560 births
Compare Gala side by side: Gala vs Gale Gala vs Galilea Gala vs Galilee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gala
Aris #2270
1,853 births · Peak 2023
Dayla #2272
2,066 births · Peak 2022
Everlyn #2269
1,438 births · Peak 2023
Kyrie #2273
4,298 births · Peak 2016
Jacquelyn #2268
85,197 births · Peak 1951
Harmonie #2274
2,814 births · Peak 2015
Laina #2267
3,569 births · Peak 2014
Charly #2275
2,518 births · Peak 2014
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1919–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gala: #2271 Girls' Name - 2,186 Births, Peak 1965." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gala. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gala draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.