Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the male given names Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy, Jeremiah, Jared, Jerome, Jermaine, Jerrold, or similar male given names.
Jerry is a boy's and girl's baby name of Germanic origin, most commonly a nickname for Gerald or Jeremy, both rooted in the Germanic element ger, meaning "spear." It evolved into a fully independent given name in 20th-century America.
Jerry hit its peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, reflecting the era's fondness for friendly, accessible names. The name is synonymous with American humor — from Jerry Seinfeld to the eternal cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry — giving it a warm and comic energy. A name that always sounds like it's about to tell a good story.