Boy · #1,175 in 2026

Gerald

Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ger- ("spear") and suffix -wald ("rule"). Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original name of Gerald of Mayo, a British Roman Catholic monk who established a monastery in Mayo, Ireland in 670.

  • English
  • German
  • Dutch
  • French
Current Rank
#1,175
Peak Rank
#19 (1942)
Total Babies
449K
5-Yr Trend
-21%
1910
First Year
1993
Last Year
1927
Peak Year
#1023
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
82
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gerald

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ger- ("spear") and suffix -wald ("rule"). Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original name of Gerald of Mayo, a British Roman Catholic monk who established a monastery in Mayo, Ireland in 670.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • German
  • Dutch
  • French

The Story of Gerald

The earliest SSA record of Gerald as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 11 babies received it. 1942 was its biggest year on record, with 11,483 newborns named Gerald — #22 in the national rankings. About 23% of every Gerald on record arrived during the 1940s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Gerald ranks #1,175 for baby boys with 176 births, falling sharply (-21%). All told, over 449K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Gerald

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gerald. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Gerald

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gerald is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gerald

What does the name Gerald mean?
Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ger- ("spear") and suffix -wald ("rule"). Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original name of Gerald of Mayo, a British Roman Catholic monk who established a monastery in Mayo, Ireland in 670.
What is the origin of the name Gerald?
Gerald has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, German, Dutch, French.
How popular is Gerald in 2026?
In 2026, Gerald ranks #1,175 among boys' names in the U.S., with 176 babies given the name that year.
When was Gerald most popular?
Gerald reached its peak popularity in 1942, ranking #19 that year with 11,483 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Gerald most popular?
Gerald has historically been most popular in Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Gerald.
Is Gerald a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Gerald is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Gerald?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gerald include Stephen, Billy, Dewey. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Gerald?
Common variants and related forms of Gerald include Gerhold, Gerold, Gerolt, Gerry, Jerald, Jere. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Dede
Peak #1023
👧
Azelie
Peak #1024
👧
Camelia
Peak #1024
👧
Daisye
Peak #1024
👧
Klara
Peak #1024
👧
Renna
Peak #1024
👧
Rina
Peak #1024
👧
Sarepta
Peak #1024

About the name Gerald

Gerald is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 449K births in the dataset. Gerald's peak popularity came in 1942 when it ranked #19. Use the chart and map above to compare Gerald's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.