 The Gzhelian is named after the Russian village of Gzhel (), nearby Ramenskoye, not far from Moscow.The name and type locality were defined by Sergei Nikitin (1850–1909) in 1890.The base of the Gzhelian is at the first appearance of the Fusulinida genera "Daixina", "Jigulites" and "Rugosofusulina", or at the first appearance of the conodont "Streptognathodus zethus".