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