Gerald

Last seen for girls in 1993 at #8,052 · #1,204 for boys in 2025, 168 births
Given to boys 99.5% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1939 · 10,057 births
Debut · boys
11 births
In top 100 · boys
63 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
448,966
since 1880

Gerald over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201937peak #19, 1939boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#1,204168
2024—#1,170178
2023—#1,024213
2022—#1,066206
2021—#1,006217
2020—#954230
2019—#890245
2018—#894242
2017—#825271
2016—#809284
2015—#764312
2014—#810281
2013—#715329
2012—#683346
2011—#628373
2010—#679348
2009—#630396
2008—#604415
2007—#544472
2006—#545465
2005—#520472
2004—#463552
2003—#474529
2002—#443556
2001—#411609
2000—#382680
1999—#379686
1998—#376671
1997—#336773
1996—#322822
1995—#298889
1994—#284954
1993#8,05210#2561,116
1992#9,4918#2451,174
1991#13,1475#2351,261
1990—#2121,451
1989#8,0379#2011,469
1988#7,6919#1941,403
1987#6,78810#1901,441
1986#6,61210#1831,455
1985#5,07714#1811,446
1984#5,22213#1761,444
1983#4,28617#1681,549
1982#3,64722#1581,717
1981#4,53216#1541,764
1980#4,32717#1481,819
1979#3,54122#1431,863
1978#3,77719#1371,889
1977#4,42515#1312,046
1976#3,54019#1202,139
1975#3,95016#1082,398
1974#3,31320#1082,417
1973#2,50629#1022,592
1972#3,89415#1022,816
1971#2,34033#833,588
1970#1,95243#674,399
1969#1,95541#654,384
1968#2,24629#624,475
1967#1,88139#594,873
1966#2,14730#604,863
1965#1,85438#645,252
1964#2,10932#605,869
1963#2,06133#606,156
1962#2,07332#656,232
1961#1,72044#626,630
1960#1,88736#626,571
1959#1,72041#616,636
1958#1,90833#586,865
1957#1,86934#517,595
1956#1,87133#497,991
1955#1,87732#488,072
1954#1,64838#448,552
1953#1,67135#428,619
1952#1,74632#399,031
1951#1,74031#369,539
1950#1,45240#349,726
1949#1,80728#339,808
1948#1,52037#309,842
1947#1,35746#2810,750
1946#1,53233#2710,033
1945#1,33236#258,857
1944#1,29338#2410,023
1943#1,07755#2311,367
1942#1,32537#2211,484
1941#1,13343#2010,942
1940#1,09743#2110,236
1939#1,02248#1910,057
1938#1,20037#199,972
1937#98151#209,425
1936#1,13539#199,018
1935#99548#218,458
1934#98149#227,816
1933#1,06243#227,422
1932#1,07044#247,347
1931#93155#266,823
1930#1,18140#306,483
1929#1,04249#335,965
1928#1,21040#415,487
1927#1,02356#385,511
1926#1,07948#415,123
1925#1,25239#454,507
1924#1,92621#494,151
1923#1,67225#543,696
1922#1,78523#583,541
1921#1,76524#603,382
1920#1,88921#643,157
1919#2,06317#702,689
1918#1,64524#722,712
1917#2,69311#692,486
1916#2,49812#762,260
1915#3,1348#782,085
1914#2,8767#811,468
1913#2,8276#841,142
1912#2,9795#86929
1911—#88462
1910#2,3985#105289
1909—#95301
1908—#97270
1907—#102239
1906—#112191
1905—#113189
1904—#106201
1903—#107182
1902—#127151
1901—#124133
1900—#140157
1899—#143108
1898—#165100
1897—#16693
1896—#16895
1895—#19376
1894—#19775
1893—#22955
1892—#22162
1891—#23945
1890—#25644
1889—#23348
1888—#33030
1887—#35222
1886—#32128
1885—#36423
1884—#41619
1883—#49713
1882—#46915
1881—#46014
1880—#57111
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Gerald was already there! It came in at #571, and was given to 11 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1883, when fewer than 16 boys a year got the name.

Where Gerald is popular in 1937

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Gerald, so not publishedAKMaine: #15 for boys · 85 births · 1 in 73 boysMEVermont: #40 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 161 boysVTNew Hampshire: #33 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 126 boysNHWashington: #13 for boys · 176 births · 1 in 62 boysWAIdaho: #16 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 74 boysIDMontana: #15 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 65 boysMTNorth Dakota: #8 for boys · 101 births · 1 in 54 boysNDMinnesota: #10 for boys · 484 births · 1 in 44 boysMNIllinois: #15 for boys · 704 births · 1 in 77 boysILWisconsin: #10 for boys · 611 births · 1 in 39 boysWIMichigan: #9 for boys · 1,061 births · 1 in 39 boysMINew York: #22 for boys · 747 births · 1 in 115 boysNYMassachusetts: #22 for boys · 249 births · 1 in 114 boysMARhode Island: #21 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 88 boysRIOregon: #16 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 73 boysORNevada: #31 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 85 boysNVWyoming: #21 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 88 boysWYSouth Dakota: #15 for boys · 69 births · 1 in 69 boysSDIowa: #17 for boys · 258 births · 1 in 75 boysIAIndiana: #20 for boys · 239 births · 1 in 106 boysINOhio: #19 for boys · 540 births · 1 in 93 boysOHPennsylvania: #22 for boys · 663 births · 1 in 111 boysPANew Jersey: #33 for boys · 152 births · 1 in 162 boysNJConnecticut: #26 for boys · 77 births · 1 in 129 boysCTCalifornia: #22 for boys · 399 births · 1 in 108 boysCAUtah: #17 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 91 boysUTColorado: #20 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 100 boysCONebraska: #13 for boys · 145 births · 1 in 67 boysNEMissouri: #23 for boys · 228 births · 1 in 117 boysMOKentucky: #34 for boys · 135 births · 1 in 190 boysKYWest Virginia: #33 for boys · 109 births · 1 in 170 boysWVVirginia: #62 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 291 boysVAMaryland: #45 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 225 boysMDDelaware: #20 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 103 boysDEArizona: #60 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 216 boysAZNew Mexico: #69 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 250 boysNMKansas: #15 for boys · 159 births · 1 in 82 boysKSArkansas: #33 for boys · 96 births · 1 in 183 boysARTennessee: #48 for boys · 107 births · 1 in 241 boysTNNorth Carolina: #62 for boys · 109 births · 1 in 322 boysNCSouth Carolina: #63 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 300 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #29 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 164 boysDCOklahoma: #34 for boys · 120 births · 1 in 167 boysOKLouisiana: #30 for boys · 152 births · 1 in 133 boysLAMississippi: #57 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 272 boysMSAlabama: #34 for boys · 148 births · 1 in 187 boysALGeorgia: #56 for boys · 103 births · 1 in 283 boysGAHawaii: #43 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 147 boysHITexas: #38 for boys · 287 births · 1 in 198 boysTXFlorida: #45 for boys · 62 births · 1 in 207 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. North Dakota#8 · 1 in 54
  2. Michigan#9 · 1 in 39
  3. Wisconsin#10 · 1 in 39
  4. Minnesota#10 · 1 in 44
  5. Washington#13 · 1 in 62

Best ever in a state: #7 in Minnesota, 1932.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
North Dakota#81011 in 54
Michigan#91,0611 in 39
Minnesota#104841 in 44
Wisconsin#106111 in 39
Nebraska#131451 in 67
Washington#131761 in 62
Illinois#157041 in 77
Kansas#151591 in 82
Maine#15851 in 73
Montana#15641 in 65
South Dakota#15691 in 69
Idaho#16571 in 74
Oregon#16901 in 73
Iowa#172581 in 75
Utah#17561 in 91
Ohio#195401 in 93
Colorado#20901 in 100
Delaware#20161 in 103
Indiana#202391 in 106
Rhode Island#21491 in 88
Wyoming#21191 in 88
California#223991 in 108
Massachusetts#222491 in 114
New York#227471 in 115
Pennsylvania#226631 in 111
Missouri#232281 in 117
Connecticut#26771 in 129
District of Columbia#29301 in 164
Louisiana#301521 in 133
Nevada#3161 in 85
Arkansas#33961 in 183
New Hampshire#33241 in 126
New Jersey#331521 in 162
West Virginia#331091 in 170
Alabama#341481 in 187
Kentucky#341351 in 190
Oklahoma#341201 in 167
Texas#382871 in 198
Vermont#40151 in 161
Hawaii#43211 in 147
Florida#45621 in 207
Maryland#45521 in 225
Tennessee#481071 in 241
Georgia#561031 in 283
Mississippi#57761 in 272
Arizona#60211 in 216
North Carolina#621091 in 322
Virginia#62761 in 291
South Carolina#63641 in 300
New Mexico#69221 in 250
Alaska———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Gerald
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 34 spots since 2024 (#1,170 → #1,204)
  • 250 spots since 2020 (#954 → #1,204)
  • 440 spots since 2015 (#764 → #1,204)
  • Biggest jump: 111 spots in 1881 (#571 → #460)
  • Biggest drop: 95 spots in 2014 (#715 → #810)
Rise & fade · boys
59 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1939 at #19 (10,057 births)
  • Births halved by 1966, 27 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 63 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 63 yrs · run 1911–1971
  • Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1880–2020
Share of babies · boys
1 in 110
  • Highest: 1 in 110 boys born in 1939 were named Gerald (0.91%)
  • Latest: 1 in 10,167 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · boys
The 1940s
  • 23.0% of all boys named Gerald (103,342) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s223#233 (1889)#401
1890s753#143 (1899)#198
1900s2,014#95 (1909)#112
1910s16,522#69 (1917)#81
1920s44,520#33 (1929)#48
1930s82,821#19 (1939)#22
1940s103,342#20 (1941)#25
1950s82,626#34 (1950)#46
1960s55,305#59 (1967)#62
1970s26,147#67 (1970)#110
1980s15,507#148 (1980)#175
1990s9,797#212 (1990)#294
2000s5,146#382 (2000)#502
2010s3,031#628 (2011)#770
2020s1,212#954 (2020)#1,071

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Gerald in 1937

girls
#981
51 births · 1 in 20,863 girls
boys
#20
9,425 births · 1 in 113 boys

Top girls' names in 1937

  1. #1Mary55,641
  2. #2Barbara34,917
  3. #3Patricia26,838
  4. #4Shirley26,823
  5. #5Betty25,337
  6. #6Carol17,336
  7. #7Nancy17,074
  8. #8Dorothy16,572
  9. #9Joan15,301
  10. #10Margaret15,144
  11. #981Gerald51

Top boys' names in 1937

  1. #1Robert61,842
  2. #2James56,561
  3. #3John48,755
  4. #4William40,725
  5. #5Richard32,975
  6. #6Charles30,520
  7. #7Donald27,868
  8. #8David20,981
  9. #9Thomas19,772
  10. #10George18,439
  11. #20Gerald9,425
More about 1937

girls

1,064,033 girls got a published name in 1937; 1 in 20,863 of them was named Gerald, which outranked 80.1% of the 4,930 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gerald
  1. #964Octavia52
  2. #964Phillis52
  3. #964Roseanne52
  4. #981Gerald51
  5. #981Armida51
  6. #981Dean51
  7. #981Idell51
  8. #992Antonette50
  9. #992Bernita50
  10. #992Bridget50

Tied with 10 names at #981; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1936
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,217Noreta#4,181 → #964
  2. ↑ 2,845Noretta#3,701 → #856
  3. ↑ 2,351Leilani#3,103 → #752
  4. ↑ 1,407Deann#2,263 → #856
  5. ↑ 1,209Norita#1,741 → #532
Fallers
  1. ↓ 438Dorla#951 → #1,389
  2. ↓ 331Vilma#951 → #1,282
  3. ↓ 303Imelda#979 → #1,282
  4. ↓ 297Lulu#695 → #992
  5. ↓ 292Lyda#840 → #1,132

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,066,659 boys got a published name in 1937; 1 in 113 of them was named Gerald, which outranked 99.5% of the 4,020 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gerald
  1. #17Jerry10,301
  2. #18Frank10,127
  3. #19Raymond9,571
  4. #20Gerald9,425
  5. #21Harold8,550
  6. #22Billy8,301
  7. #23Jack8,194
Biggest movers since 1936
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,923Tyrone#2,629 → #706
  2. ↑ 558Lamont#1,540 → #982
  3. ↑ 540Lary#1,540 → #1,000
  4. ↑ 416Errol#906 → #490
  5. ↑ 399Levon#1,356 → #957
Fallers
  1. ↓ 492Gaston#989 → #1,481
  2. ↓ 461Gorden#827 → #1,288
  3. ↓ 432Sergio#940 → #1,372
  4. ↓ 371Landon#422 → #793
  5. ↓ 347Harlen#747 → #1,094

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1937 →