Jerry
Jerry was the 907th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 262 babies. Its best year was 1940, when it ranked 14th; the most babies were born in 1947 (18,794). Over the last ten years it has moved down 419 places. More babies were named Jerry in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy and others · English, Germanic, Hebrew, Greek
Say it JAIR-ee /ˈdʒɛɹi/
- Rank in 2025
- #907 boys, down 306 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 262boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194718,794 babies
- Total since 1880
- 632,416babies recorded
What does the name Jerry mean?
Jerry is a pet form, with the English -y ending, of several boys' names beginning with a Jer- or Ger- sound, as Wiktionary lists: chiefly Gerald and Gerard, and also Jeremy, Jeremiah and Jerome. Gerald and Gerard are Germanic names built on gēr 'spear' (with wald 'rule' and hard 'hard, brave'); Jeremiah is Hebrew Yirmeyahu, usually read 'YHWH exalts' or 'YHWH loosens'; Jerome is Greek Hieronymos 'sacred name'. For girls it is also short for Geraldine.
gēr (Old High German, “spear”)
How sure is this? Well established. Which full name a particular Jerry comes from varies.
Related names: Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy, Jerome, Gerry.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jerry', 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)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gerard', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Jerry popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 17,314 since 1899.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #907 | 262 |
| 2020 | #601 | 457 |
| 2010 | #384 | 750 |
| 2000 | #264 | 1,251 |
| 1990 | #146 | 2,186 |
| 1980 | #94 | 3,189 |
| 1970 | #45 | 7,422 |
| 1960 | #37 | 11,835 |
| 1950 | #24 | 15,261 |
| 1940 | #14 | 15,213 |
| 1930 | #51 | 3,891 |
| 1920 | #144 | 1,043 |
| 1910 | #131 | 251 |
| 1900 | #113 | 205 |
| 1890 | #137 | 103 |
| 1880 | #99 | 136 |
How popular is Jerry, counting every spelling?
Jerry is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #872 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #907 for Jerry on its own. Together these spellings went to 262 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry | 262 | #907 | 1,523 |
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 Jerry?
262 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jerry (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jerry 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 32 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jerry.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jerry?
About 349,700 people born in the US named Jerry are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 54 and 76. That makes Jerry 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.
Jerry by state
How common Jerry was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arkansas (2.6×), Indiana (2.5×), Mississippi (2.4×), Oklahoma (2.1×), Missouri (2.0×). In 19 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 Jerry: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jerry, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jerry · Sibling names for Jerry
Jerry is also a nickname for Jeremias, Jeremiah, Jeremy, Gerald, Geraldine, Jerome, Gerard and Jerald.
Questions about the name Jerry
What does Jerry mean?
Jerry means “pet form of Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy and others” (English, Germanic, Hebrew, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jerry?
Jerry was the 907th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 262 babies. Its best year was 1940, when it ranked 14th; the most babies were born in 1947 (18,794). Over the last ten years it has moved down 419 places. More babies were named Jerry in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Jerry a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jerry in the US.
Where is Jerry most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jerry was most common in Arkansas (0.46 per 1,000 boys), followed by Indiana and Mississippi.