Given name
Gerrit
“one who is mighty with a spear”
Gerrit is a variant of Garrett. In English use, Garrett carries the interpretation “one who is mighty with a spear.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Gerrit is a variant of Garrett. In English use, Garrett carries the interpretation “one who is mighty with a spear.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Frisian use, Gerrit shares an earlier linguistic root with Gerard. An origin associated with Gerard is Germanic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
From Middle Dutch Gherart, from Old Dutch *Gērhard, from Proto-West Germanic *Gaiʀahard.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gerrit through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,877
- 2,877 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 49 babies
- 2025
- 16
- #5,689 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 16 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,689 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 33.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 49 in 1916. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,272 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gerrit’s family of names
In Dutch usage, Gerrit has a diminutive in Gerrie. Gerrit shares a linguistic root with Gerard. Gerrit has a related form in Garrett.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gerrit has relatives in 3 languages.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 14
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Gerrit
- Gerrit RietveldDutch furniture designer and architect (1888-1964)
- Gerard van HonthorstDutch Golden Age painter (1592-1656)
- Gerrit DouDutch painter (1613-1675)
- Gerrit Smith Miller Jr.U.S. zoologist and botanist (1869–1956)
- Gerrit AchterbergDutch poet (1905–1962)
- Gerrit GrahamAmerican actor1948–2026
- Gerrit BerckheydeDutch painter (1638-1698)
- Gerrit SchimmelpenninckDutch politician (1794-1863)
- Gerrit VoortingDutch cyclist (1923–2015)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gerrit, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kermit
“one who is free of envy”
>99% boys
Garnett
“resembling the dark-red gem” · “one who wields a spear”
>99% boys
Gardner
“one who works the earth” · “the keeper of the garden”
97% boys · 3% girls
Godfrey
“God is peace”
>99% boys
Gustave
“of the staff of the gods”
>99% boys
Dewitt
“a blonde-haired man”
>99% boys
General
“a military leader”
>99% boys
Elbert
“a wellborn man” · “a bright man”
>99% boys