Garliava is the Lithuanian name of the city. Versions of the name in other languages include Polish: Godlewo, Russian: Годлево Godlevo, Belarusian: Гадле́ва Gadleva, Yiddish: גודלעווע Gudleve, Latvian: Garļava.

In 1809 Józef Godlewski [pl] built a Holy Trinity church [lt] and named the settlement Godlewo in his own honour, although Lithuanians started calling it Garliava. This year is generally viewed as the year Garliava was founded. It lay along a significant postal route between Saint Petersburg, Kaunas, Marijampolė, and Warsaw.

Godlewski also built a place of worship for Lutherans and a synagogue for Jews.

• Józef Godlewski [pl] (1773–1867), founder
• Jonas Algimantas Boruta (1944-2022), Roman Catholic prelate
• Juozas Gabrys (1880 – 1951), politician and advocate of Lithuanian independence, was born in Garliava. In his memoirs, he referred to himself as the "Count of Garliava."
• Darius Labanauskas (*1976), darts player

There are five schools: Garliavos Juozo Lukšos gymnasium, Garliavos Jonučių high school, Garliava high school, Kindergarten and primary school of Garliava, and Garliava school of arts and music.

• FK Garliava football club;
• Stadium of the school of Adomas Mitkus.

• (in Lithuanian) History of Garliava. Eldership of Garliava.

• (in Polish) Godlewo in the Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland (1881); the first entry "Godlewo", item 3.) within