Geraldine
Geraldine was the 2447th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 73 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 38th; the most babies were born in 1930 (5,448). Over the last ten years it has moved down 799 places. More babies were named Geraldine in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning coined for 'one of the Fitzgeralds' · English, Germanic
Say it JAIR-ul-deen /ˈdʒɛɹəldin/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,447 girls, down 495 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 73girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19305,448 babies
- Total since 1880
- 212,097babies recorded
What does the name Geraldine mean?
Geraldine was coined around 1540 by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, as a poetic name for Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, 'the fair Geraldine', meaning one of the Geraldines (Fitzgeralds), as Wiktionary notes. It was taken up as a given name in the 19th century and used as a feminine of Gerald, a Germanic name from gēr 'spear' and walt 'rule'. It was common in the US in the 1920s and 1930s.
gēr (Old High German, “spear”)walt (Old High German, “rule”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Gerald, Gerry, Jerri, Geri.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Geraldine', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Gerald', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Geraldine
The usual nicknames for Geraldine are Gerri, Gerry and Jerry.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerri | Traditional | — | — |
| Gerry · also for Gerardo, Gerald, Gerard | Traditional | — | — |
| Jerry · also for Jeremias, Jeremiah, Jeremy | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Geraldines go by each one.
Geraldine popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 748 since 1913.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,447 | 73 |
| 2020 | #1,952 | 98 |
| 2010 | #1,162 | 209 |
| 2000 | #1,822 | 95 |
| 1990 | #951 | 198 |
| 1980 | #1,209 | 109 |
| 1970 | #426 | 517 |
| 1960 | #224 | 1,430 |
| 1950 | #102 | 3,451 |
| 1940 | #46 | 5,150 |
| 1930 | #43 | 5,448 |
| 1920 | #60 | 4,265 |
| 1910 | #148 | 551 |
| 1900 | #269 | 145 |
| 1890 | #501 | 27 |
| 1880 | #700 | 7 |
How popular is Geraldine, counting every spelling?
Geraldine is the most common spelling of a name family that had 73 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 73 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geraldine | 73 | #2,447 | 565 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Geraldine?
73 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Geraldine (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Geraldine 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 115 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Geraldine.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Geraldine?
About 73,800 people born in the US named Geraldine are alive today, with a median age of 77; half are between 68 and 84. That makes Geraldine 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.
Geraldine by state
How common Geraldine was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.1×), Texas (2.0×). In 39 states fewer than five girls 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 Geraldine: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Geraldine, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Geraldine · Sibling names for Geraldine
Questions about the name Geraldine
What does Geraldine mean?
Geraldine means “coined for 'one of the Fitzgeralds'” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Geraldine?
Geraldine was the 2447th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 73 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 38th; the most babies were born in 1930 (5,448). Over the last ten years it has moved down 799 places. More babies were named Geraldine in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Geraldine a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Geraldine in the US.
Where is Geraldine most popular?
In 2021–2025, Geraldine was most common in California (0.14 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and New York.