Gaila as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gaila

What is the meaning of the name Gaila ?

The baby name Gaila is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɡaɪlə/ (GYE-lah) or /ˈɡeɪlə/ (GAY-lah).

Gaila is English, Hebrew in Origin.

Gaila is a feminine given name with several converging origins. In English-speaking use, it most often extends Gail or Gayle, the short form of Abigail, from Hebrew Avigail meaning “my father is joy.” The -a ending lends a softer cadence and aligns it with contemporaries like Gayla. In Jewish usage, it can also echo Hebrew Gila, “joy” or “rejoicing,” reinforcing a cheerful semantic field. In Baltic onomastics, especially Lithuanian, Gaila is linked to the native root gail-, “pity, compassion, or mercy,” making its meaning context dependent.

The name saw modest circulation in the United States in the mid-twentieth century, paralleling the popularity of Gail and Gayla, and continues in occasional use in Lithuania alongside cognates. Variants and related forms include Gayla, Gayle, Gail, Gila, Gailė, and Gaile; longer source names such as Abigail provide an anchoring formal option. Spellings with y are common in North America.

⚙ Gaila is seldom given. In all, it turns up just 62 times, across 20 countries.