Gonzaga is the name of an historical Italian family of rulers, for which, see below.

Several Catholic educational institutions have been named after the early Jesuit St. Aloysius Gonzaga:

• Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school in Washington, DC
• Gonzaga Prepatory High School is a Jesuit high school in Spokane, Washington
• Gonzaga University is a Jesuit university located in Spokane, Washington
• Gonzaga is also the name of an exclusive fee-paying school in the Republic of Ireland which has educated many of the leading politicians, academics and businessmen of modern Ireland.
• Gonzaga is also the name of a high school in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It was, for many years run by Jesuit brothers, but after the reform of catholic schools in the late 1990's, it is now non-denominational.

The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua from 1328 to 1708. In 1433 Gianfrancesco Gonzaga assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531 the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage.

The Gonzaga rulers were:

1. Luigi I (ruled 1328-1360)
2. Guido (ruled 1360-1369), son of Luigi
3. Ludovico I (1369-82)
4. Francesco I (ruled 1382-1407), son of Ludovico I
5. Gianfrancesco I (ruled 1407-1444), son of Francesco I
6. Ludovico II (ruled 1444-1478), son of Gianfrancesco I
7. Federico I (ruled 1478-1484), son of Ludovico II
8. Francesco II (ruled 1484-1519)
9. Federico II (ruled 1519-1540), son of Francesco II
10. Francesco III (ruled 1540-1550), son of Federico II
11. Guglielmo I (ruled 1550-1587), brother of Francesco III
12. Vincenzo I (ruled 1587-1612), son of Guglielmo I

his daugther, Eleonore Gonzaga (1598-1655) married Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor

1. Francesco IV (ruled 1612), son of Vincenzo I
2. Ferdinando I (1612-26), brother of Francesco IV
3. Vincenzo II (ruled 1626-1627), brother of Ferdinando I

The Duchy of Mantua then fell to the junior branch of Gonzaga-Nevers.

1. Carlo I (ruled 1627-1637)
2. Carlo III (ruled 1637-1665), grandson of Carlo I (Carlo II predeceased his father)
3. Ferdinando Carlo IV (ruled 1665-1708), son of Carlo III

In 1708, Mantua was seized by the Habsburgs, ending Gonzaga rule.