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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201953peak #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 1953

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #51 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 227 boysAKMaine: #37 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 162 boysMEVermont: #41 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 161 boysVTNew Hampshire: #47 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 254 boysNHWashington: #38 for boys · 175 births · 1 in 171 boysWAIdaho: #36 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 147 boysIDMontana: #39 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 187 boysMTNorth Dakota: #33 for boys · 62 births · 1 in 121 boysNDMinnesota: #33 for boys · 279 births · 1 in 136 boysMNIllinois: #40 for boys · 513 births · 1 in 197 boysILWisconsin: #26 for boys · 375 births · 1 in 113 boysWIMichigan: #33 for boys · 629 births · 1 in 142 boysMINew York: #49 for boys · 663 births · 1 in 248 boysNYMassachusetts: #46 for boys · 209 births · 1 in 248 boysMARhode Island: #52 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 262 boysRIOregon: #37 for boys · 109 births · 1 in 171 boysORNevada: #31 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 125 boysNVWyoming: #44 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 215 boysWYSouth Dakota: #39 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 158 boysSDIowa: #44 for boys · 135 births · 1 in 223 boysIAIndiana: #42 for boys · 234 births · 1 in 217 boysINOhio: #43 for boys · 468 births · 1 in 221 boysOHPennsylvania: #34 for boys · 623 births · 1 in 189 boysPANew Jersey: #52 for boys · 202 births · 1 in 262 boysNJConnecticut: #53 for boys · 83 births · 1 in 272 boysCTCalifornia: #47 for boys · 591 births · 1 in 252 boysCAUtah: #76 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 367 boysUTColorado: #36 for boys · 113 births · 1 in 162 boysCONebraska: #35 for boys · 105 births · 1 in 144 boysNEMissouri: #43 for boys · 207 births · 1 in 219 boysMOKentucky: #47 for boys · 145 births · 1 in 244 boysKYWest Virginia: #63 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 309 boysWVVirginia: #55 for boys · 159 births · 1 in 266 boysVAMaryland: #54 for boys · 107 births · 1 in 266 boysMDDelaware: #42 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 194 boysDEArizona: #55 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 258 boysAZNew Mexico: #77 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 318 boysNMKansas: #37 for boys · 131 births · 1 in 177 boysKSArkansas: #69 for boys · 63 births · 1 in 332 boysARTennessee: #76 for boys · 103 births · 1 in 386 boysTNNorth Carolina: #52 for boys · 210 births · 1 in 257 boysNCSouth Carolina: #70 for boys · 105 births · 1 in 291 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #59 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 282 boysDCOklahoma: #51 for boys · 112 births · 1 in 219 boysOKLouisiana: #34 for boys · 235 births · 1 in 167 boysLAMississippi: #94 for boys · 69 births · 1 in 419 boysMSAlabama: #70 for boys · 116 births · 1 in 333 boysALGeorgia: #70 for boys · 146 births · 1 in 321 boysGAHawaii: #61 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 229 boysHITexas: #67 for boys · 369 births · 1 in 322 boysTXFlorida: #49 for boys · 160 births · 1 in 239 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Wisconsin#26 · 1 in 113
  2. Nevada#31 · 1 in 125
  3. North Dakota#33 · 1 in 121
  4. Minnesota#33 · 1 in 136
  5. Michigan#33 · 1 in 142

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Wisconsin#263751 in 113
Nevada#31161 in 125
Michigan#336291 in 142
Minnesota#332791 in 136
North Dakota#33621 in 121
Louisiana#342351 in 167
Pennsylvania#346231 in 189
Nebraska#351051 in 144
Colorado#361131 in 162
Idaho#36501 in 147
Kansas#371311 in 177
Maine#37601 in 162
Oregon#371091 in 171
Washington#381751 in 171
Montana#39391 in 187
South Dakota#39511 in 158
Illinois#405131 in 197
Vermont#41241 in 161
Delaware#42211 in 194
Indiana#422341 in 217
Missouri#432071 in 219
Ohio#434681 in 221
Iowa#441351 in 223
Wyoming#44171 in 215
Massachusetts#462091 in 248
California#475911 in 252
Kentucky#471451 in 244
New Hampshire#47211 in 254
Florida#491601 in 239
New York#496631 in 248
Alaska#51121 in 227
Oklahoma#511121 in 219
New Jersey#522021 in 262
North Carolina#522101 in 257
Rhode Island#52341 in 262
Connecticut#53831 in 272
Maryland#541071 in 266
Arizona#55481 in 258
Virginia#551591 in 266
District of Columbia#59511 in 282
Hawaii#61301 in 229
West Virginia#63731 in 309
Texas#673691 in 322
Arkansas#69631 in 332
Alabama#701161 in 333
Georgia#701461 in 321
South Carolina#701051 in 291
Tennessee#761031 in 386
Utah#76311 in 367
New Mexico#77361 in 318
Mississippi#94691 in 419

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 1953

girls
#1,671
35 births · 1 in 53,751 girls
boys
#42
8,619 births · 1 in 229 boys

Top girls' names in 1953

  1. #1Mary64,389
  2. #2Linda61,281
  3. #3Deborah52,199
  4. #4Patricia51,019
  5. #5Susan44,297
  6. #6Barbara38,473
  7. #7Debra36,856
  8. #8Nancy30,620
  9. #9Karen29,858
  10. #10Pamela25,760
  11. #1,671Gerald35

Top boys' names in 1953

  1. #1Robert86,243
  2. #2James86,066
  3. #3Michael84,198
  4. #4John80,165
  5. #5David76,119
  6. #6William61,829
  7. #7Richard58,389
  8. #8Thomas47,008
  9. #9Charles38,421
  10. #10Gary36,967
  11. #42Gerald8,619
More about 1953

girls

1,881,301 girls got a published name in 1953; 1 in 53,751 of them was named Gerald, which outranked 74.3% of the 6,497 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gerald
  1. #1,648Selina36
  2. #1,648Theressa36
  3. #1,648Zola36
  4. #1,671Gerald35
  5. #1,671Adria35
  6. #1,671Andree35
  7. #1,671Anthony35
  8. #1,707Annabel34
  9. #1,707Artie34
  10. #1,707Blenda34

Tied with 35 names at #1,671; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1952
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,253Enola#3,201 → #948
  2. ↑ 885Lu#1,368 → #483
  3. ↑ 749Joni#1,046 → #297
  4. ↑ 553Brooke#1,351 → #798
  5. ↑ 531Lorri#1,430 → #899
Fallers
  1. ↓ 274Roseanna#808 → #1,082
  2. ↓ 253Georgie#946 → #1,199
  3. ↓ 218Pandora#783 → #1,001
  4. ↓ 204Fonda#822 → #1,026
  5. ↓ 195Brinda#935 → #1,130

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

boys

1,972,299 boys got a published name in 1953; 1 in 229 of them was named Gerald, which outranked 99.0% of the 4,341 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gerald
  1. #39Patrick9,468
  2. #40Wayne8,905
  3. #41Danny8,627
  4. #42Gerald8,619
  5. #43Alan8,454
  6. #44Carl7,829
  7. #45Walter7,509
Biggest movers since 1952
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,276Faron#2,251 → #975
  2. ↑ 694Shane#1,213 → #519
  3. ↑ 528Enrico#1,517 → #989
  4. ↑ 441Blaise#1,430 → #989
  5. ↑ 429Robbin#1,268 → #839
Fallers
  1. ↓ 427Durwood#981 → #1,408
  2. ↓ 392Jonnie#939 → #1,331
  3. ↓ 312Elvis#968 → #1,280
  4. ↓ 293Edsel#968 → #1,261
  5. ↓ 292Beverly#766 → #1,058

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

See the top 100 for 1953 →