Gerald
Germanic ger “spear” plus wald “rule.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Gerald appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 63 different years between 1908 and 1971. Its biggest year was 1942, when 11,484 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 22 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1936, at No. 19. All told, 451,351 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Gearld (4,286), Gerold (2,966) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Jerry, Geraldine, Garrett
Explore Gerald interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 223 | No. 233 |
| 1890s | 753 | No. 143 |
| 1900s | 2,014 | No. 95 |
| 1910s | 16,522 | No. 69 |
| 1920s | 44,520 | No. 33 |
| 1930s | 82,821 | No. 19 |
| 1940s | 103,342 | No. 20 |
| 1950s | 82,626 | No. 34 |
| 1960s | 55,305 | No. 59 |
| 1970s | 26,147 | No. 67 |
| 1980s | 15,507 | No. 148 |
| 1990s | 9,797 | No. 212 |
| 2000s | 5,146 | No. 382 |
| 2010s | 3,031 | No. 628 |
| 2020s | 1,212 | No. 954 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.