Nowadays surname Gagua is spread into almost all regions of Georgia. Statistical data: by the last decades of 20 century there were 4526 persons bearing the surname Gagua. A 1902-year commercial announcement of newspaper Iveria mentions Barbare Gagua father name Trifoni. Representatives of surname Gagua were living in Samegrelo, Guria, Achara, Imereti and Abkhazia.

   Colchic toponimy mentions places connecting to surname Gagua. The sources provide evidence of living in certain areas: ‘egagu’ /village ‘Abedati’/, ‘nagagu’/nakhunao, sergieti, ‘legague’/ place in Gakhomela/, ‘nagagu’ /Abastumani, menji/, ‘sagaguo’/ darcheli satkebuchavo/ ‘gaguashi nokoni’ /gaguas nakanari/ gamgeoba of Zani/, “gagua dikha”/ land of gagua. Salkhino/ gaguashi nokhori/former settlement of gagua, kotoianeti/, etc.

  The surname has apparently Megrelian origin despite the fact that its representatives are widely represented in neighbour Imereti and Guria. What provides the proof of this fact? It’s clear that a person moved to another region or even another country remembers its place of origin more than a person relocated in the same region. Gagua families living in Imereti or Guria unanimously recognize that their origin is from Samegrelo, from village Abedati.

  Gagua representatives living in district Samtredia have a history how cousins Lomkats and Joghoria Gagua were moved from Abedati to Nigorzghva.

  Abovementioned village was widely inhabited with Gagua families in 18thcentury. There is also an evidence about a person Gagua who collected and made contributions to Abedati church considered as a sacred place for Gagua surname representatives in 20thcentury.

  A famous journalist Lamara Gagua from district Ozurgeti remembers how her father was longing to get in Abedeti once in hislifetime.

   There is also a contradictory opinion according to which Gagua families from Imereti, Samegrelo or Guria are not derived from the same root.

   This point of view is obviously false. Historical evidences transmitted from our ancestors are the proof that can’t be rejected despite the fact of which part of the country we live.

    Historically ‘Adgilis deda’ (guardian mother of place) of Gagua is district Martvili, Nokalakevi and its surroundings. These places – Abedati, Kotianeti and Nokalakevi carry an important historical significance. In olden times Gagua families were located on the territory of historical Sajavakho, nowadays belonging to border villages of Nigorzghva, Chognari, Nakaduli and Khunjulauri in administrative districts Chokhatauri and Samtredia.

  For today Gagua families living in other parts of Georgia are considered as outside of this geographical area. Consequently we will provide youwith historical references of these places