Gala has several roots: it is the Spanish and Italian feminine of Gallus, a Latin name meaning "rooster" or "from Gaul", a Russian short form of Galina, and simply the English word for a "festive celebration". Its most famous bearer is Gala Dalí, the Russian-born muse and wife of Salvador Dalí, who appears in many of his paintings. In the United States Gala stood at number 11076 in 2000, reached its best rank of number 2273 in 2024 and is number 2495 in 2025.