The term gai bal manda referred to the customary adoption practice within Mandalorian society.
This phrase, when converted from the Mandalorian language known as Mando'a into Galactic Basic Standard, signified "name and soul."
It consisted of a straightforward declaration of purpose, where a would-be Mandalorian parent simply had to utter the words ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad—meaning "I know your name as my child"—and then state the name of the person being adopted.
This ritual could be performed individually, or with a group of people, and even, in certain situations, after someone's death.
Becoming a Mandalorian often only required adoption through the gai bal manda process, along with a commitment to the Resol'nare, the six core principles of Mandalorian culture.
The gai bal manda tradition was initially referenced and detailed in the 2006 Star Wars Insider article, The Mandalorians: People and Culture, penned by Karen Traviss. Later in the same year, this adoption custom was prominently featured in a Star Wars story for the first time in Traviss' e-novella, Boba Fett: A Practical Man. The gai bal manda later appeared in Traviss' Republic and Imperial Commando series of books, as well as her contributions to the collaborative author series, Star Wars: Legacy of the Force.