Boy · #4,364 in 2026

Jerald

Name: Popularity of the name Jerald in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Jerald, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Jerald is a masculine given name which is a variant of Gerald, a German name meaning "rule of the spear". Gerald was brought to Great Britain by the Normans, along with variants Jerold and Jerrold, and the feminine Geraldine. Short forms include Jerry and Jere. Jerald is uncommon as a surname.

English

Current Rank

#4,364

Peak Rank

#223 (1942)

Total Babies

26K

5-Yr Trend

-27%

1932

First Year

1992

Last Year

1942

Peak Year

#3738

Peak Rank

102

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Jerald

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

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English

The Story of Jerald

Jerald first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1909, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1942: 647 births, good for #223 nationwide. The 1940s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 22% of all recorded Jeralds. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #4,364 among baby boy names with 24 births, falling sharply (-27%). In total, more than 26K Jeralds have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Jerald

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

Names that sound like Jerald

Phonetically similar names — useful when Jerald 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 Jerald

What does the name Jerald mean?

What is the origin of the name Jerald?

Jerald has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Jerald in 2026?

In 2026, Jerald ranks #4,364 among boys' names in the U.S., with 24 babies given the name that year.

When was Jerald most popular?

Jerald reached its peak popularity in 1942, ranking #223 that year with 647 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Jerald most popular?

Jerald has historically been most popular in South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Jerald.

Is Jerald a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Jerald is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Jerald?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Jerald include Burton, Forest, Aubrey. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Jerald?

Common variants and related forms of Jerald include Gerald, Gerry, Jere, Jerold, Jerrold, Jerry. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Jerald

Jerald is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 26K births in the dataset. Jerald's peak popularity came in 1942 when it ranked #223. Use the chart and map above to compare Jerald'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.