Jerry Boy

Popularity: #681 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JER-ee //ˈdʒɛri//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: God will uplift; English: diminutive of Gerald

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Jerry is derived from the name Gerald, which has its roots in the Old German name Gerwald, composed of the elements 'ger' meaning 'spear' and 'wald' meaning 'rule' or 'power'. The name evolved through various linguistic stages, entering the English language via the Old French form Gérald, which was adopted into Middle English.

The diminutive form Jerry emerged as a common nickname for Gerald, particularly in the 20th century, though it has also been used as an independent given name. Historically, the name Gerald has been borne by notable figures, including Gerald of Wales, a 12th-century cleric and historian, who contributed to the understanding of Welsh and Irish history.

The name gained further prominence in the English-speaking world through its association with various saints and nobles throughout the medieval period. The use of Gerald and its diminutive Jerry became more widespread following the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, which facilitated the integration of Norman names into English culture.

Culturally, the name Jerry has been associated with qualities of strength and leadership, reflecting its etymological roots in 'spear' and 'rule'. It has appeared in various literary and popular contexts, contributing to its resonance in Western culture.

The name has been featured in numerous works of fiction and media, further embedding it in the cultural landscape. As a diminutive, Jerry carries a sense of familiarity and approachability, which has helped maintain its presence in the English-speaking world.

Famous people named Jerry

In this section, you will find notable people named Jerry. 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 Jerry who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Jerry 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.

Jerry Seinfeld is a comedian and actor best known for Seinfeld, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and The Bee Movie.

Jerry Rice is a former professional American football player best known for his career with the San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XXIII, and being the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards.

Jerry Bruckheimer is a film and television producer best known for producing Pirates of the Caribbean, Top Gun, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Jerry Springer is a television presenter and former lawyer best known for The Jerry Springer Show, America's Got Talent, and his political commentary.

Jerry West is a former professional basketball player best known for his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, being the NBA logo, and his role as an executive in the NBA.

Fictional characters named Jerry

The following list of fictional characters named Jerry 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.

Jerry Mouse is a fictional character from the animated series Tom and Jerry. He is a clever and resourceful mouse who often outsmarts his feline adversary, Tom.

Sibling suggestions

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

GaryTerryLarryBarryHarryMerry

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Jerry. 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.

JaredJeremyJesseJoeyJordanJaxonJasperJett

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Jerry has ranked as high as #36 nationally, which occurred in 1947, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, North Carolina, and Illinois.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Jerry 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 Jerry 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 Jerry.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 262 262 0
2024 279 279 0
2023 287 287 0
2022 341 341 0
2021 354 354 0
2020 457 457 0
2019 381 381 0
2018 455 455 0
2017 502 496 6
2016 597 597 0
2015 603 603 0
2014 656 656 0
2013 636 636 0
2012 620 620 0
2011 724 724 0
2010 750 750 0
2009 820 820 0
2008 1,057 1,049 8
2007 996 996 0
2006 1,010 1,010 0
2005 1,051 1,046 5
2004 1,095 1,088 7
2003 1,095 1,089 6
2002 1,048 1,041 7
2001 1,262 1,256 6
2000 1,261 1,251 10
1999 1,309 1,300 9
1998 1,404 1,398 6
1997 1,473 1,458 15
1996 1,621 1,609 12
1995 1,532 1,516 16
1994 1,631 1,615 16
1993 1,744 1,727 17
1992 1,787 1,769 18
1991 2,017 1,999 18
1990 2,209 2,186 23
1989 2,190 2,165 25
1988 2,302 2,266 36
1987 2,267 2,233 34
1986 2,298 2,267 31
1985 2,471 2,423 48
1984 2,491 2,457 34
1983 2,799 2,757 42
1982 2,998 2,942 56
1981 3,087 3,056 31
1980 3,246 3,189 57
1979 3,490 3,446 44
1978 3,480 3,427 53
1977 3,791 3,745 46
1976 4,138 4,070 68
1975 4,385 4,311 74
1974 4,725 4,664 61
1973 5,178 5,097 81
1972 5,690 5,597 93
1971 6,667 6,572 95
1970 7,537 7,422 115
1969 7,380 7,283 97
1968 7,559 7,450 109
1967 7,890 7,780 110
1966 8,530 8,429 101
1965 9,129 9,015 114
1964 9,745 9,606 139
1963 10,308 10,189 119
1962 10,737 10,576 161
1961 11,507 11,381 126
1960 11,993 11,835 158
1959 12,516 12,324 192
1958 13,129 12,917 212
1957 13,519 13,283 236
1956 12,839 12,623 216
1955 13,193 12,975 218
1954 13,926 13,681 245
1953 14,178 13,901 277
1952 14,703 14,438 265
1951 15,479 15,164 315
1950 15,613 15,261 352
1949 16,215 15,871 344
1948 17,242 16,809 433
1947 19,263 18,794 469
1946 18,042 17,567 475
1945 15,118 14,704 414
1944 16,822 16,282 540
1943 18,356 17,730 626
1942 18,099 17,488 611
1941 17,346 16,799 547
1940 15,735 15,213 522
1939 14,234 13,729 505
1938 12,642 12,172 470
1937 10,723 10,301 422
1936 9,717 9,271 446
1935 8,866 8,452 414
1934 7,516 7,134 382
1933 6,456 6,066 390
1932 5,678 5,303 375
1931 4,756 4,371 385
1930 4,253 3,891 362
1929 3,267 2,991 276
1928 2,869 2,588 281
1927 2,469 2,215 254
1926 2,160 1,934 226
1925 1,857 1,625 232
1924 1,683 1,466 217
1923 1,468 1,276 192
1922 1,364 1,197 167
1921 1,279 1,114 165
1920 1,210 1,043 167
1919 1,059 917 142
1918 1,126 986 140
1917 964 861 103
1916 997 885 112
1915 881 801 80
1914 703 649 54
1913 536 493 43
1912 448 405 43
1911 275 238 37
1910 284 251 33
1909 208 192 16
1908 218 198 20
1907 180 165 15
1906 163 146 17
1905 189 177 12
1904 185 177 8
1903 119 112 7
1902 158 148 10
1901 116 116 0
1900 220 205 15
1899 118 111 7
1898 143 143 0
1897 118 118 0
1896 94 94 0
1895 102 102 0
1894 127 127 0
1893 118 118 0
1892 117 117 0
1891 107 107 0
1890 103 103 0
1889 110 110 0
1888 92 92 0
1887 98 98 0
1886 125 125 0
1885 115 115 0
1884 121 121 0
1883 107 107 0
1882 105 105 0
1881 97 97 0
1880 136 136 0

Top States for Jerry (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 36
15%
IN 19
8%
CA 17
7%
OH 14
6%
NY 13
6%
NC 12
5%
PA 11
5%
AL 11
5%
FL 9
4%
MS 9
4%
GA 9
4%
IL 9
4%
SC 8
3%
VA 7
3%
WI 7
3%
AR 6
3%
MN 6
3%
MO 6
3%
NJ 6
3%
TN 5
2%
WV 5
2%
MA 5
2%
MD 5
2%