Girl name · Greek
Gaia
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: earthGaia is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "earth". It is used in Italian, English and Greek.
- Meaning
- Earth
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- GYE-a
Meaning and origin of Gaia
As a girl's name, Gaia comes from Greek and means "earth". It is used in Italian, English and Greek.
Say it GYE-a. Say it GY-ah. In Italian, say GAH-yah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Gaia on our nature names list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Gaia on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Gaia on 5 lists.
“Earth; the primordial mother goddess of the earth”
From Goddess names, greek goddess names
“Earth; Greek. The primordial mother of all life”
From Greek girl names, greek goddess names for girls
“Earth; Greek. Say GAH-yah”
From Italian girl names, popular Italian girls' names right now
“Earth; Greek. The mother goddess of the earth. Say GYE-a”
From Nature names, earth, stone and mountain names
“Earth; Greek. The primal mother goddess. Say GY-ah”
From Strong female names, goddess and legendary heroine names
How popular is Gaia?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,392
- 157 babies, 98 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1,122 in 2023
- 219 babies that year
- Babies since 1980
- At least 2,434
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 2 per million |
| 1990s | 6 per million |
| 2000s | 17 per million |
| 2010s | 48 per million |
| 2020s | 116 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,020 | #2,134 | #1,752 | #1,575 | #1,401 | #1,231 | #1,222 | #1,122 | #1,144 | #1,392 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Gaia
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- GiaPet form of Gianna, God is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- GabiGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- GabyPet form of Gabriela (Spanish, girl)
- GaganSky (Sanskrit, unisex)
- GalWave (Hebrew, unisex)
- GaliMy wave (Hebrew, girl)
- GalinaCalm, serene (Greek, girl)
- GalitWave (Hebrew, girl)
- GalyaShort form of Galina, calm (Greek, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- GeorgiaFarmer, earth worker (Greek, girl)
- JorgeFarmer, earth worker (Greek, boy)
- AdánMan, of the earth (Hebrew, boy)
- AvniEarth (Sanskrit, girl)
- BhumiEarth, soil (Sanskrit, girl)
- DaichiGreat earth (Japanese, boy)
- DharaniEarth (Sanskrit, girl)
- GeorgFarmer, earth worker (Greek, boy)
- GeorgeFarmer, earth worker (Greek, boy)
- GeorgesFarmer, earth worker (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Gaia
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- AngelinaMessenger (Greek, girl)
- BelleBeautiful (French, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- DelphineFrom Delphi (Greek, girl)
- LinneaTwinflower, a woodland flower (Swedish, girl)
- ReeseArdor, enthusiasm (Welsh, unisex)
- VictoriaVictory, triumph (Latin, girl)
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
Gaia: common questions
What does the name Gaia mean?
Gaia comes from Greek and means "earth".
Is Gaia a boy or girl name?
Gaia is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Gaia come from?
Gaia comes from Greek and means "earth". Today it is used in Italian, English and Greek.
How do you pronounce Gaia?
Say GYE-a. Say GY-ah. In Italian, say GAH-yah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Gaia?
Gaia ranked #1,392 in the US in 2025, with 157 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Gaia?
Names spelled like Gaia include Gia, Gabi, Gaby, Gagan and Gal.
What middle names go with Gaia?
Middle names that flow well with Gaia include Anastasia, Angelina, Belle, Celeste and Delphine. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.