Meaning & Origin
A male given name from the Germanic languages.
Gerald is a boy's and girl's baby name of Germanic origin, from the Old High German Gerwald, meaning "rule of the spear" — combining ger (spear) and wald (rule). It was introduced to Britain by the Normans and spread widely through the medieval period.
Gerald was a consistent U.S. top 50 name from the 1920s through the 1960s. President Gerald Ford gave it a presidential association, while Gerald Durrell — writer and naturalist — gave it a warmly adventurous literary identity. The nickname Gerry or Jerry makes it highly accessible day-to-day.