Gila

Gila is a female first name that is considered a Swedish short form of Gisela. Its meanings include terms like 'the girl of noble descent', 'the noble hostage', and 'the noble war captive'.

What does the name Gila mean?

The name Gila is a shortened form of Gisela from Swedish. Its meanings are 'the girl of noble descent', 'the noble hostage', or 'the noble war captive'. The name has its roots in Old High German, where the element gisal means 'hostage', 'guarantor', 'pledge', or 'noble hostage', originally referring to a noble war captive used for exchange, later it was used for a noble offspring. Additionally, Gila is considered a variant of Gilah, which means 'the joyful one' or 'the happy one' and comes from Modern Hebrew, derived from the term gı̂ylâh (גילה), meaning 'joy', 'rejoicing', and 'happiness'. In Persian, the name is interpreted as 'cheerful' and 'fresh'. Gila became known through Empress Gisela, who lived in the 10th and 11th centuries as the wife of Conrad II. Other variants include Giesela, Gisella, Gisele, Giselle, Gisell, Gizela, Gizella, Ghislaine, Gisa, and Gilla.

Where does the name Gila come from?

The name Gila has its roots in Old High German and Hebrew and means 'the noble hostage' or 'the joyful one'. In Old High German, the name is derived from Gisela: gisal means 'hostage', 'guarantor', 'pledge', or 'noble hostage'. The word gisil stands for 'little spear', 'arrow shaft', or 'projectile' and also describes a combative, warrior-like character. In Modern Hebrew, the name comes from Gilah: gı̂ylâh (גילה) means 'joy', 'rejoicing', and 'happiness'. The languages from which the name is derived are German and Hebrew.

How do you pronounce Gila?

The name Gila is pronounced in two syllables. The phonetic representation 'Gi-la' [ˈɡiːla] emphasizes the long initial vowel, giving the name openness and clarity. The gentle connection to the bright '-la' adds a warm touch. Gila sounds harmonious and soft - calm, friendly, and unobtrusive.

When is the name day of Gila?

The name day for Gila is celebrated on February 13 and May 7.

Popularity

In Germany, Gila is a rather rare first name. Currently, it ranks 5,884th on the list of the most common female baby names. Its best placement was in 2012 at rank 1,945. In the last ten years, Gila has been given as a first name about 20 times, placing it 5,874th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 4,974th.

Famous people

• Gila Almagor (Israeli writer and actress)
• Gila Altmann (German politician from the Greens)
• Gila Golan (Polish actress)
• Gila Lustiger (German writer)
• Gila von Weitershausen (German actress)