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Gaia

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Previous: GafnaNext: Gala
Gender: female
Pronunciation: GUY-ah
Meaning: earth goddess
Related Names: Gaea, Gaiana, Gaiea, Gala, Ge, Gya

Length: 4 Gender: {{#if female 

 |female

}}

Rank in 2000s: 0 0

Name: gaia Origin: Greek,, Meaning (no case): earth goddess




Contents

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

The name Gaia is of Greek origin. It is formed from the words "ge," which means "earth" (think ge-ography, ge-ology, etc.) and "Aia," which means "grandmother." Based on the etymology, Gaia literally means "grandmother earth," though the more common interpretations would say "mother earth" or "earth goddess."[1]

In Greek mythology, Gaia is also known as Gaea or Ge, and she is the mother of the titans. As more of a force than a being, Gaia emerged from Chaos at the creation of the universe, bringing with her the land and the sky. She gave birth to Uranus, who helped her populate the universe.[1] There are many stories in which Gaia is in opposition to the powerful male gods, such as Uranus or Zeus.[1] This could suggest a philosophical battle between an older goddess culture and the Greek god-based culture, immortalized in myth.

POPULARITY

Gaia is an uncommon name, and has not appeared in the top 1000 girls' names in the United States in any recorded year.[1]

In 2002, Gaia ranked as the 367th most popular girl's name in Catalonia.[1]

Because of its associations with both ancient mythology and New Age philosophy, Gaia is a popular name to use in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Planets named Gaia have appeared in works such as Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov, the anime The Vision of Escaflowne and the video game Final Fantasy VII. Gaia is also a character name in more than one Fantasy series.[1]

FACTS

  • In the 1970s, Dr. James Lovelock developed the Gaia Hypothesis, which says that the earth is a living organism, and that the Biosphere in which we live is part of a self-regulating and living superorganism.[1] In 1979, Lovelock published Gaia: A new look at life on Earth. Six Gaia books have followed, including the latest one published in 2006, The Revenge of Gaia: Why the Earth Is Fighting Back - and How We Can Still Save Humanity.[1] His initial theories were disregarded and criticized by scientists, though as the theory evolved it has been given more credit, especially within the field of ecology.[1]
  • The Gaia Mission is an attempt to three-dimensionally map the galaxy. It is scheduled to launch in 2011.[1]

NAMESAKES

FAMOUS PERSONS

  • Gaia Romilly Wise: child of actor Greg Wise and actress Emma Thompson (born 1999)[1]
  • Gaia: one of the stage names of Dutch Trance DJ Armin van Buuren
  • Gaea Schell: Jazz musician
  • Gaiana: an Armenian martyr from the third century.[1]

OTHER GAIA'S

Gaia Alpha, Gaia Canestrari, Gaia Barnes, Gaia Anderson, Gaia Banks, More results

Author: Sarena Emily Levinson

NOTES

References:
Shlain, Leonard. The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image. New York: Penguin Compass, 1998.

Facts about GaiaRDF feed
Gender female  +
Length 4  +
Meaning earth goddess  +
Meaningnc earth goddess  +
Name gaia  +
Origin Greek  +
Popularity 0  +
Pronunciation GUY-ah  +
Rank in 2000s 0  +
Related Gaea  +, Gaiana  +, Gaiea  +, Gala  +, Ge  +, and Gya  +
Retrieved from "http://wiki.name.com/en/Gaia"
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