Gervais
Gervais, or Gervaise, is an English and French name of Old French origin. The name in English was inherited via Norman, and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic Gervas, which is composed of the elements gaiʀ ("spear") and an unknown second element, possibly a borrowing from the Celtic -wass. The name Jarvis is derived from Gervais(e), and it is latinized as Gervasius.
Meaning & Origin of Gervais
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gervais, or Gervaise, is an English and French name of Old French origin. The name in English was inherited via Norman, and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic Gervas, which is composed of the elements gaiʀ ("spear") and an unknown second element, possibly a borrowing from the Celtic -wass. The name Jarvis is derived from Gervais(e), and it is latinized as Gervasius.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Gervais
Gervais first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1926, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2000: 6 births, good for #9,112 nationwide. About 55% of every Gervais on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Gervais last appeared in the published SSA data in 2000, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 11 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Gervais
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gervais 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 Gervais
What does the name Gervais mean?
How popular is Gervais in 2026?
When was Gervais most popular?
Is Gervais a unisex name?
What names go well with Gervais?
About the name Gervais
Gervais is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1926 and has accumulated 11 births in the dataset. Gervais's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #9,112. Use the chart and map above to compare Gervais's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2000 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.