Gerald
How to say it: JER-uld · /ˈdʒerəld/
From Old High German Gerwald, meaning 'rule of the spear' (ger = spear, wald = rule).
Gerald was the 1,064th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 168 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1930s, its births are down about 45% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,218 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #1,064 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 168 |
| Share of births | 1 in 19,734 |
| Peak decade | 1930s |
| Change over 10 years | −45% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,218 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Gerald stood tallest in the 1930s and has thinned out since to far below that mark. Further softening lies ahead.
What goes with it
Clipped and crisp, Gerald speaks in two syllables. Leonard offers a similar sound alongside it.
Parents who love Gerald also love
Nicknames
- Gerry
- Jerry
- Ger
Honouring a Gerald in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Gerald is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Dutch, English, French, German.
Famous people named Gerald
- Gerald Ford (1913–2006)President of the United States from 1974 to 1977
- Gerald Vanenburg (born 1964)Dutch association football player
- Gerald Asamoah (born 1978)German association football player
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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