Given name & surname · also Celtic, Germanic
Gerald
“one who rules with the spear”
Gerald is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “one who rules with the spear.”
Original GermanGerold
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “one who rules with the spear.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Germanic and Celtic naming traditions.
How it developed
From Old French Gerald, from Frankish *Gaiʀawald, from Proto-Germanic *Gaizawaldaz, from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰoysós, built from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeys- + *-ós.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Its historical bearers include members of the aristocracy.
Gerald through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 451,351
- 448,966 boys · 2,385 girls
- Most popular year
- 1942
- 11,521 babies
- 2025
- 168
- #1,206 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −23%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 168 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,206 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 22.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 11,484 in 1942. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (17). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 258,431 as a first name in 2020; 4,847 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gerald’s family of names
In English usage, Gerald has a diminutive in Jerry. Gerald has a feminine form in Geraldine. In English usage, Gerald has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Gerardo.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gerald has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Celtic roots to each of them.
14 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 32
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Geroldvariant · German
- Gerwaldvariant · German
- Jerrydiminutive · English
- Geraltvariant
- Gerrypet form · English
- Geraldovariant · Portuguese
- Jheridiminutive · English
- Gerredvariant
Show 24 moreShow fewer
- Gerroldvariant
- Gerrivariant · English
- Gerrellvariant
- Gerraldvariant
- Gerikvariant
- Gerekvariant
- Gerevariant
- Geraudvariant
- Garaldvariant
- Jerroldvariant
- Geralddlikely variant
- Giraultvariant
- Girauldvariant
- Giraudvariant
- Giraldovariant
- Geryldvariant
- Gerrildvariant
- Gerolltvariant
- Geroltvariant
- Gerolldvariant
- Geraldevariant
- Gearaltvariant
- Garolavariant
- Gedshort form
Across languages 26
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- GerardoItalian
- Geraldinefeminine form · English
- Fitzgeraldequivalent
- Jeraldrelated form
- Gerritequivalent
- Gerhardequivalent
- Girardequivalent
- GeriItalian
Show 18 moreShow fewer
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Gerald
- Gerald Fordpresident of the United States from 1974 to 1977 (1913–2006)
- Gerald EdelmanAmerican biologist (1929–2014)
- Gerald VanenburgDutch association football playerborn 1964
- Gerald DurrellBritish naturalist and writer (1925–1995)
- Jerry SpringerAmerican television personality and politician (1944–2023)
- Gerald AsamoahGerman association football playerborn 1978
- Gerry RaffertyScottish singer-songwriter (1947–2011)
- Gerald of Walesmedieval clergyman and historian1146–1220
- Gerald GardnerBritish Wiccan leader (1884–1964)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gerald, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Roy
“a red-haired man” · “a king”
>99% boys
Roger
“fame-spear”
>99% boys
Lewie
Lewie is a masculine given name.
>99% boys
Frederick
“a peaceful ruler”
>99% boys
Fritz
“a peaceful ruler”
>99% boys
Gundry
“battle” · “king, ruler”
—
Gaozrich
“a Geat” · “king”
>99% boys
Gaizarīks
“spear” · “king, ruler”
>99% boys