Gerard

Gerard - A very unique male name

Gerard appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #312. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Gerard and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Gerard? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Gerard. The baby boy name Gerard was given to 51 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1696 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 28,751 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Gerard peaked in popularity 72 years ago in 1954 on position 179.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Gerard, 1-5?

Gerard is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Gerard is currently topping the baby name charts in New Jersey at position #860 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,291.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Gerard is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Gerard origin and meaning

Germanic

From Old German Gerhard: ger, 'spear,' and hard, 'brave, hardy' — 'brave with the spear'

Gerard is an old Germanic warrior name carried by saints and common across medieval Europe. In the US it peaked in 1956 and has declined for decades, to rank #1696 in 2025. Its French cousin Gérard and Spanish Gerardo keep the same spear-and-brave root.

Attested etymology

Gerard is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Gerard, pop culture references for the name Gerard and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Gerard

We've found the following names that sound similar to Gerard, sorted by popularity.

Garrett / Gerardo / Grady / Garret / Garth / Garett / Gareth / Gerrit / Gerhard / Girard /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Gerard

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Gerard a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Gerard?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

jeh-RARD · /dʒəˈrɑːrd/

Around the world

• Gérard (French) — The French form of the same name.
• Gerardo (Spanish) — The Spanish form.
• Gerard (Dutch) — Used as-is in Dutch.

Spellings and nicknames

• Gerardo — The Spanish form, also used in the US.
• Gerrard — Surname-influenced double-r spelling.

Nicknames: GerryJerry

Famous bearers

• Gerard Butler — Scottish actor, star of 300 (b. 1969) Contemporary

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Gerard for old-European solidity — a saint's and grandfather's name due a second look.

Worth knowing

• Pronunciation splits between jeh-RARD and JAIR-erd, and it can feel dated next to current favourites.