Gerald
Gerald was the 1206th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 168 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 19th; the most babies were born in 1942 (11,484). Over the last ten years it has moved down 441 places. More babies were named Gerald in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning spear rule · Germanic, Old French
Say it JAIR-uld /ˈdʒɛɹəld/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,206 boys, down 251 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 168boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194211,484 babies
- Total since 1880
- 451,351babies recorded
What does the name Gerald mean?
Gerald is a Germanic name from gēr 'spear' and walt 'power, rule', as DMNES and Wiktionary note. The Normans brought it to England, where it later faded but survived in Ireland through the Fitzgerald family, and it was revived in the 19th century. DMNES notes it was often confused with Gerard. President Gerald Ford is a famous bearer.
gēr (Old High German, “spear”)walt (Old High German, “power, rule”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Gerard, Jerry, Gerry, Geraldine, Garrett.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean king or queen, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Gerald', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gerald', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Gerald
The usual nicknames for Gerald are Jerry and Gerry. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Gerald in the last five years, 155 were named Jerry, against 203 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry · also for Jeremias, Jeremiah, Jeremy | Traditional | #907 | 1,523 |
| Gerry · also for Gerardo, Geraldine, Gerard | Traditional | #9,186 | 42 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Geralds go by each one.
Gerald popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,385 since 1910.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,206 | 168 |
| 2020 | #955 | 230 |
| 2010 | #679 | 348 |
| 2000 | #382 | 680 |
| 1990 | #212 | 1,451 |
| 1980 | #148 | 1,819 |
| 1970 | #67 | 4,399 |
| 1960 | #62 | 6,571 |
| 1950 | #34 | 9,726 |
| 1940 | #21 | 10,236 |
| 1930 | #30 | 6,483 |
| 1920 | #64 | 3,157 |
| 1910 | #105 | 289 |
| 1900 | #140 | 157 |
| 1890 | #258 | 44 |
| 1880 | #586 | 11 |
How popular is Gerald, counting every spelling?
Gerald has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,145 for boys in 2025, against #1,206 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Gerald?
168 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gerald (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gerald born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 50 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gerald.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gerald?
About 209,900 people born in the US named Gerald are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 55 and 77. That makes Gerald a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gerald by state
How common Gerald was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (3.0×), Michigan (2.5×), Pennsylvania (1.7×). In 27 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gerald: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gerald, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Gerald · Sibling names for Gerald
Questions about the name Gerald
What does Gerald mean?
Gerald means “spear rule” (Germanic, Old French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Gerald?
Gerald was the 1206th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 168 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 19th; the most babies were born in 1942 (11,484). Over the last ten years it has moved down 441 places. More babies were named Gerald in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Gerald a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Gerald in the US.
Where is Gerald most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gerald was most common in Louisiana (0.34 per 1,000 boys), followed by Michigan and Pennsylvania.