| Chiara | Gaia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bright, clear | Earth; rejoicing |
| Origin | italian | Italian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KYAH-rah | GY-ah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1951 | 1980 |
| Peak year | 2025 (228) | 2023 (219) |
| In 2025 | 228 | 157 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Chiara | Gaia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,203 | 1,133 |
| 2010s | 1,359 | 836 |
| 2000s | 1,721 | 317 |
| 1990s | 838 | 116 |
| 1980s | 427 | 32 |
| 1970s | 284 | 0 |
| 1960s | 81 | 0 |
| 1950s | 14 | 0 |
Italian form of Clara, from Latin 'clarus' meaning 'clear, bright, famous'. Popularized by the medieval Saint Clare of Assisi (Chiara d'Assisi).
Gaia names the Greek earth goddess and carries the sense “rejoicing.”
Chiara is more popular than Gaia today: about 228 US babies were given the name Chiara in 2025, compared with 157 named Gaia.
Chiara means Bright, clear (italian origin), while Gaia means Earth; rejoicing (Italian origin).
In US records, Chiara first appears in 1951 and Gaia in 1980, so Chiara has the longer recorded history.