Given name & surname
Gerda
“one who is guarded; protected”·“one who is strong with a spear”
In Swedish use, Gerda has a related form in Gerd. One Scandinavian interpretation is “one who is guarded; protected.” In German use, Gerda is an affectionate form of Gertrude. One German interpretation is “one who is strong with a spear.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Swedish use, Gerda has a related form in Gerd. One Scandinavian interpretation is “one who is guarded; protected.” In German use, Gerda is an affectionate form of Gertrude. One German interpretation is “one who is strong with a spear.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Swedish use, Gerda has a related form in Gerd. An origin associated with Gerd is Scandinavian. In German use, Gerda is an affectionate form of Gertrude. An origin associated with Gertrude is Germanic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Norwegian usage, Gerda developed from Gerðr.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1887. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In German use, Gerda is an affectionate form of Gertrude. The history of Gertrude gives this family its wider story. Gertrude was in use during the 19th century.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Gerda through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,099
- 0 boys · 1,099 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 49 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 7 in 1972. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 49 in 1915. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,568 as a first name in 2020; 155 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.
Gerda’s family of names
Gerda is an affectionate form of Gertrude. In Norwegian usage, Gerda developed from the Old Norse form Gerðr. In German usage, Gerda has a related form in Gertrud.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gerda has relatives in 8 languages.
13 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 12
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Gerthaequivalent
- Geraequivalent
- Kärtequivalent
- ГердаRussian
- Gerdinaequivalent
- Gerðrroot · Old Norse
- GärdaSwedish
- GerdisSwedish
Show 4 moreShow fewer
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Gerda
- Gerda TaroGerman photographer, best known for her reporting on the Spanish Civil War (1910–1937)
- Gerda WegenerDanish artist (1885-1940)
- Gerda LernerAustrian-American women's history scholar (1920-2013)
- Gerda van der Kade-KoudijsDutch athlete (1923–2015)
- Gerda Christianpersonal secretary of Adolf Hitler (1913–1997)
- Gerda MaurusAustrian actress (1903–1968)
- Gerda WeissensteinerItalian bobsledder and lugerborn 1969
- Gerdy TroostGerman art dealer, purchaser for Linz and personal adviser in art matters to Hitler.; architect1904–2003
- Gerda KraanDutch middle distance runnerborn 1933
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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