Gerald Boy

Popularity: #770 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JER-ald //ˈdʒɛr.əld//

Origin: Germanic; Old French

Meaning: Spear ruler; rule of the spear

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Gerald originates from the Old High German name "Gerwald," which is composed of the elements "ger," meaning "spear," and "wald," meaning "rule" or "power." This name was adopted into Old French as "Gerald," which then made its way into Middle English. The transition into English occurred during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when many Old French names were introduced into the English language, enriching its lexicon with Germanic roots.

Throughout history, the name Gerald has been borne by various notable figures. One significant historical milestone is the presence of Gerald as a name among the Anglo-Norman nobility in the medieval period, particularly in the 12th century.

It was also associated with several saints, including Saint Gerald of Aurillac, a 9th-century French saint who is venerated in both the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. His life and deeds contributed to the name's religious significance, as it became popular among Christian communities.

Culturally, the name Gerald has been linked to themes of strength and leadership, reflecting its etymological roots in "spear" and "rule." This connection to power and nobility has allowed the name to endure through centuries, often appearing in literature and historical texts. Additionally, diminutive forms such as Gerry have emerged, although they are less prominent in historical contexts.

Overall, Gerald has maintained a consistent presence in various cultures, symbolizing authority and valor.

Famous people named Gerald

In this section, you will find notable people named Gerald. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Gerald who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Gerald who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Gerald Ford is a U.S. President best known for his time in office from 1974 to 1977 and for his role in the Watergate scandal aftermath.

Gerald McRaney is an actor best known for Simon & Simon, Major Dad, and This Is Us.

Fictional characters named Gerald

The following list of fictional characters named Gerald is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Gerald is a fictional character from the animated television series Hey Arnold!. He is the best friend of the main character, Arnold, and is known for his distinctive hairstyle and laid-back personality.

Gerald is a fictional character from the video game series The Legend of Zelda. He is a key character in the game Breath of the Wild, serving as a trusted ally to the protagonist, Link.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Gerald, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EdwardRichardWilliamThomasCharlesHenry

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Gerald. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

GarethGerardGilbertGordonGideonGrahamGeorgeGregory

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Gerald was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Gerald has ranked as high as #43 nationally, which occurred in 1942, and has been most popular in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and California.

In the past 5 years the name Gerald has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Gerald is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Gerald was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Gerald.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 168 168 0
2024 178 178 0
2023 213 213 0
2022 206 206 0
2021 217 217 0
2020 230 230 0
2019 245 245 0
2018 242 242 0
2017 271 271 0
2016 284 284 0
2015 312 312 0
2014 281 281 0
2013 329 329 0
2012 346 346 0
2011 373 373 0
2010 348 348 0
2009 396 396 0
2008 415 415 0
2007 472 472 0
2006 465 465 0
2005 472 472 0
2004 552 552 0
2003 529 529 0
2002 556 556 0
2001 609 609 0
2000 680 680 0
1999 686 686 0
1998 671 671 0
1997 773 773 0
1996 822 822 0
1995 889 889 0
1994 954 954 0
1993 1,126 1,116 10
1992 1,182 1,174 8
1991 1,266 1,261 5
1990 1,451 1,451 0
1989 1,478 1,469 9
1988 1,412 1,403 9
1987 1,451 1,441 10
1986 1,465 1,455 10
1985 1,460 1,446 14
1984 1,457 1,444 13
1983 1,566 1,549 17
1982 1,739 1,717 22
1981 1,780 1,764 16
1980 1,836 1,819 17
1979 1,885 1,863 22
1978 1,908 1,889 19
1977 2,061 2,046 15
1976 2,158 2,139 19
1975 2,414 2,398 16
1974 2,437 2,417 20
1973 2,621 2,592 29
1972 2,831 2,816 15
1971 3,621 3,588 33
1970 4,442 4,399 43
1969 4,425 4,384 41
1968 4,504 4,475 29
1967 4,912 4,873 39
1966 4,893 4,863 30
1965 5,290 5,252 38
1964 5,901 5,869 32
1963 6,189 6,156 33
1962 6,264 6,232 32
1961 6,674 6,630 44
1960 6,607 6,571 36
1959 6,677 6,636 41
1958 6,898 6,865 33
1957 7,629 7,595 34
1956 8,024 7,991 33
1955 8,104 8,072 32
1954 8,590 8,552 38
1953 8,654 8,619 35
1952 9,063 9,031 32
1951 9,570 9,539 31
1950 9,766 9,726 40
1949 9,836 9,808 28
1948 9,879 9,842 37
1947 10,796 10,750 46
1946 10,066 10,033 33
1945 8,893 8,857 36
1944 10,061 10,023 38
1943 11,422 11,367 55
1942 11,521 11,484 37
1941 10,985 10,942 43
1940 10,279 10,236 43
1939 10,105 10,057 48
1938 10,009 9,972 37
1937 9,476 9,425 51
1936 9,057 9,018 39
1935 8,506 8,458 48
1934 7,865 7,816 49
1933 7,465 7,422 43
1932 7,391 7,347 44
1931 6,878 6,823 55
1930 6,523 6,483 40
1929 6,014 5,965 49
1928 5,527 5,487 40
1927 5,567 5,511 56
1926 5,171 5,123 48
1925 4,546 4,507 39
1924 4,172 4,151 21
1923 3,721 3,696 25
1922 3,564 3,541 23
1921 3,406 3,382 24
1920 3,178 3,157 21
1919 2,706 2,689 17
1918 2,736 2,712 24
1917 2,497 2,486 11
1916 2,272 2,260 12
1915 2,093 2,085 8
1914 1,475 1,468 7
1913 1,148 1,142 6
1912 934 929 5
1911 462 462 0
1910 294 289 5
1909 301 301 0
1908 270 270 0
1907 239 239 0
1906 191 191 0
1905 189 189 0
1904 201 201 0
1903 182 182 0
1902 151 151 0
1901 133 133 0
1900 157 157 0
1899 108 108 0
1898 100 100 0
1897 93 93 0
1896 95 95 0
1895 76 76 0
1894 75 75 0
1893 55 55 0
1892 62 62 0
1891 45 45 0
1890 44 44 0
1889 48 48 0
1888 30 30 0
1887 22 22 0
1886 28 28 0
1885 23 23 0
1884 19 19 0
1883 13 13 0
1882 15 15 0
1881 14 14 0
1880 11 11 0

Top States for Gerald (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 21
17%
CA 17
14%
MI 16
13%
NY 13
10%
PA 12
10%
FL 12
10%
IL 8
6%
NC 7
6%
TN 6
5%
GA 6
5%
LA 6
5%