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 [ 2 syll. ge-ral(d), ger-a-ld ] The boy name Gerald is pronounced as JHEHRahLD KEY. Gerald is used predominantly in the English and German languages, and its origin is Old French and Germanic. From Old French and Germanic roots, its meaning is spear rule. Two-element name derived from the elements 'ger' meaning spear ; 'wald' meaning to rule. Gerwald (Germanic) is an original form of Gerald. The name was introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century, but its use subsided by the late 13th century. In Ireland, the name was brought in around the 12th century by Maurice Fitzgerald, Lord of Lanstephan, whose family was greatly influential as the Earls of Kildare. The name was sometimes confused with Gerard, which was a more popular name in the Middle Ages. The name saw a revival in 19th century England, along with other medieval names. It also acquired a somewhat aristocratic flavor. The name Geraldine (English and German) is the female version of Gerald. Gerald is a widely used name; it has 34 variants that are used in both English and other languages. Variants of Gerald used in English include Gerard (used in French and Dutch as well), Geraud (used in French as well), Gerek (used in Polish as well), Gerhard (used in German and Scandinavian as well), Gerrard, and Gerrie. Other English forms include the pet forms Gary, Ged, Geddy, Gerri, Gerry (used in German as well), Jerri, and Jerry (used in German as well), and the variant spellings Gerrald, Jerald, Jerold, and Jerrold. Foreign variants of Gerald include Garald (Russian), Garold (Russian), Garolds (Russian), Gellart (Hungarian), Gellert (Hungarian), Gerado (Spanish), Geralde (French), Geraldo (Italian and Spanish), Gerardo (Spanish and Italian), Gerhart (German and Scandinavian), Gérald (French), Giraldo (Italian), Giraud (French), Girauld (French), Herrado (Spanish), and Jeraldo (Spanish). Another foreign form is the variant spelling Gerold (German). Gerald is a short form of the name Fitzgerald (English). See also the related form, Jerrell (English). Gerald is a classic favorite. Today it is still fairly popular as a baby name for boys, though to a lesser extent than it was in the past. Its usage peaked in 1939 with 0.887% of baby boys being given the name Gerald. Its ranking then was #19. The baby name has since markedly fallen in popularity, and is currently of occasional use. In 2008, its usage was only 0.019% and its ranking #603. Among the group of boy names directly linked to Gerald, Gerardo (Spanish and Italian) was the most popular. In 2008, the name was thrice as popular as Gerald. Gerald has predominantly been a boy name, though in the past century it has also been used for girls. In 1937, boys named Gerald outnumbered girls by 187 times. Baby names that sound like Gerald include Gerrald (English), Gérald (French), Jerald (English), Jerrold (English), Girauld (French), Jerold (English), Geralde (French), Geraldo (Italian and Spanish), Giraldo (Italian), and Jeraldo (Spanish). A famous person named Gerald is Gerald Ford, US President, born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., 14 July 1913 - 26 December 2006, Omaha, Nebraska. KEY: Pronunciation for Gerald: JH as in "gee (JH.IY)" ; EH as in "Ed (EH.D)" ; R as in "read (R.IY.D)" ; AH as in "hut (HH.AH.T)" ; L as in "lee (L.IY)" ; D as in "dee (D.IY)"   |
