Given name & surname
Jerald
“one who rules with the spear”
Jerald is a form of Gerald. One German interpretation is “one who rules with the spear.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Jerald carries the interpretation “one who rules with the spear.” Jerald is a form of Gerald. One German interpretation is “one who rules with the spear.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
Jerald is used as a form of Gerald.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1909. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jerald is a form of Gerald. The history of Gerald gives this family its wider story. Gerald’s historical bearers include members of the aristocracy.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Jerald through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 26,293
- 26,191 boys · 102 girls
- Most popular year
- 1942
- 654 babies
- 2025
- 26
- #4,081 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −27%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 26 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,081 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 27.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 647 in 1942. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 18,095 as a first name in 2020; 276 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.
Jerald’s family of names
Jerald is a form of Gerald. Jerald has a related form in Jerrold. Jerald has a related form in Jerold.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
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 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Jerald
- Jerald HoneycuttAmerican basketball player (born 1974)
- Jerald terHorstAmerican journalist (1922–2010)
- Jerald EricksenAmerican mathematician specializing in continuum mechanics1924–2021
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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