Gerard

Meaning: Brave with the spear
Origin: From Germanic (Frankish, via Old French)

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 share it.

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.

#287 in N. Ireland (2025) · #337 in Poland (2025) · #360 in Ireland (2025) · #421 in Ecuador (2025) · #676 in Netherlands (2025) · #696 in Scotland (2025) · #810 in Belgium (2025) · #1,564 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,640 in Canada (2024).

Famous Gerards

Gérard Depardieu — French actor (born 1948)
Gerard Piqué — Spanish association football player
Gerard 't Hooft — Dutch theoretical physicist
Gerard Butler — Scottish actor and film producer
Gérard de Nerval — French writer, poet, essayist and translator (1808–1855)

In stories & tradition

Gerard DuGalle — StarCraft
Gérard de Villefort — The Count of Monte Cristo (book)
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, Haitian Prime Minister (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 · Karl · Bernard · Gilbert

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

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