Gaetano is an Italian masculine given name. It is derived from the Latin Caietanus, meaning "from Caieta". The given name has been in use in Italy since medieval period, although it also remained in use as a byname indicating people from Gaeta, as in Thomas Cajetan or Gaetanus (1469–1534). The modern given name can be traced to Saint Gaetano dei Conti di Tiene (1480–1547) who was canonized in 1671. Other variants of the name exist in other Romance languages, the French form of the name is Gaëtan, Gaétan, the Portuguese form is Caetano, and the Spanish form is Cayetano. The feminine form is Gaetana.
