Gerard

Meaning: Brave with the spear
Origin: Germanic

Nicknames: Jerry, Jheri

Boy's name · #1713 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Few names move less than Gerard — on the books since 1886, #1713 in 2025, and dependable in between. Roughly 59,000 boys have carried the name since.

Across the states

See where Gerard is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 9 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Gerard ranks in other countries and regions.

#270 in N. Ireland (2025) · #337 in Poland (2025) · #348 in Ireland (2025) · #421 in Ecuador (2025) · #647 in Scotland (2025) · #676 in Netherlands (2025) · #799 in Belgium (2025) · #1,538 in England & Wales (2025) · #2,144 in Sweden (2025) · #3,153 in Canada (2025) · #3,648 in Italy (2024) · #4,265 in France (2025) and 7 more.

Famous Gerards

Gérard Depardieu — French actor (born 1948)
Gerard Piqué — Spanish footballer (born 1987)
Gerard 't Hooft — Dutch theoretical physicist (born 1946)
Gerard Butler — Scottish actor and film producer (born 1969)
Gérard de Nerval — French writer, poet, essayist and translator (1808–1855)
Gerard Way — American singer (born 1977)
Gerard Deulofeu — Spanish footballer (born 1994)
Gérard Houllier — French footballer and manager (1947–2020)
Gerard Moreno — Spanish footballer (born 1992)
Gerard Manley Hopkins — English poet and Catholic priest (1844–1889)

In stories & tradition

Gerard DuGalle — Character in StarCraft
Gérard de Villefort — Character from the Count of Monte Cristo
Gerard^pl — The Chronicles of Amber (book series)

What Gerards become

Among 4,636 notable people named Gerard:

Political leaders appear 2.16× more often than among typical names — e.g. Gérard Latortue, Prime Minister of Haiti from 2004 to 2006 (1934–2023).

Spellings & nicknames

Earlier generations knew Gerry — the standard of the 1950s. About 300 boys a year are given Jerry as their full name.

Similar names: Gerardo · Reynaldo · Gerald · Denis · Monte · Bernard

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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