Given name & surname
Gerhard
“one who is mighty with a spear”·“one who is guarded; protected”
Gerhard is a variant of Gerard. One English interpretation is “one who is mighty with a spear.” In German use, Gerhard is a variant of Gerd. One Scandinavian interpretation is “one who is guarded; protected.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Gerhard is a variant of Gerard. One English interpretation is “one who is mighty with a spear.” In German use, Gerhard is a variant of Gerd. One Scandinavian interpretation is “one who is guarded; protected.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Gerhard is a variant of Gerard. An origin associated with Gerard is Germanic. In German use, Gerhard is a variant of Gerd. An origin associated with Gerd is Scandinavian.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In German use, Gerhard is used as a form of Gerard.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gerhard through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,429
- 2,429 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1917
- 62 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 boys is 5 in 2020. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 62 in 1917. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,741 as a first name in 2020; 2,488 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.
Gerhard’s family of names
In German usage, Gerhard has a diminutive in Gerd. In German usage, Gerhard shares a linguistic root with the Dutch form Gerard. In Swedish usage, Gerhard has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Gerardo.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gerhard has relatives in 18 languages.
18 related names in 18 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 25
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- GerardoSpanish, Italian
- Geraldequivalent
- GerrardEnglish
- Gehardequivalent
- Girardequivalent
- Geroldequivalent
- Erhardequivalent
- Frenchequivalent
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Giraldoequivalent
- Gerardusequivalent
- Geralltequivalent
- Gellértequivalent
- ГерхардRussian
- Kerttuladerivative · Finnish
- Gérardcognate · French
- Geirrcognate · Old Norse
- Géraldequivalent
- Geratequivalent
- Geardequivalent
- Gjertequivalent
- Gerhardshas masculine form
- GézaHungarian
- GeirarðrNorwegian
- GeirharðurIcelandic
- GearóidIrish
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Gerhard
- Gerhard SchröderChancellor of West Germany (1998–2005)born 1944
- Gerhard DomagkGerman bacteriologist (1895-1964)
- Gerhard ErtlGerman physicistborn 1936
- Gerhard RichterGerman visual artist (b. 1932)
- Gerhard HerzbergGerman-Canadian physicist and physical chemist (1904-1999)
- Gerhard BergerAustrian former Formula One racing driverborn 1959
- Gerhard Armauer HansenNorwegian physician1841–1912
- Gerhard Ludwig MüllerCatholic cardinal from Germanyborn 1947
- Louis Gerhard De GeerSwedish 19th century prime minister (1818–1896)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gerhard, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Durward
“a gatekeeper”
>99% boys
General
“a military leader”
>99% boys
Dillard
Dillard is a surname.
>99% boys
Elmore
“from the moor of the elm trees”
>99% boys
Garland
“decorated with a wreath of flowers” · “one who is crowned”
86% boys · 14% girls
Garvin
“a friend with a spear”
>99% boys
Eldred
“an old, wise advisor”
93% boys · 7% girls
Edd
“wealth, riches” · “ward, guard”
>99% boys