Gerald
Meaning & Origin
Meaning: Rules by Spear; Brave Spearman
Background: The name Gerald originates from the Germanic elements 'geri,' meaning 'spear,' and 'wald,' meaning 'rule' or 'power.' This name was adopted into Old English, maintaining its connotations of strength and leadership associated with the spear.
At a glance
Quick stats based on the history of this name.
Lifetime rank
#72
Total births
451,178
Most popular decade
1940s
(311,214 births)
10-year trend
↓ Falling (-356 ranks)
Years in Top 100
63
First recorded year
1880
Gender usage
99.5% male
0.5% female
Stats by gender
Male
- First year
- 1880
- First year births
- 11
- First year rank
- #571
- Peak year
- 1942
- Peak year births
- 11,483
- Peak rank
- #22
- Most recent year
- 2024
- Recent year births
- 178
- Recent rank
- #1,166
Female
- First year
- 1910
- First year births
- 5
- First year rank
- #2,398
- Peak year
- 1927
- Peak year births
- 56
- Peak rank
- #1,023
- Most recent year
- 1993
- Recent year births
- 10
- Recent rank
- #8,052
Births over time
Number of babies given this name each year.
Rank over time
Popularity rank by year (1 = most popular).