The first name Gerard
A boy’s name meaning “spear”, “hard”, “brave”.
Pronounced /d͡ʒəˈɹɑɹd/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 17 boys were named Gerard, making it the 1,538th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 42 births (#462).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Gerard with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Gerard at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 95 boys born in the United States were named Gerard, the 1,713th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1956, when 1,617 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Gerard in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Gerard in Catalan and Dutch too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Gerard
- Ged
Other spellings and forms
- Gerrard
Famous people named Gerard
245 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Gérard DepardieuFrench actor (born 1948)
- Gerardus MercatorFlemish geographer, cosmographer and cartographer (1512–1594)
- Gérard de NervalFrench writer, poet, essayist and translator (1808–1855)
- Gérard PhilipeFrench actor (1922-1959)
- Gérard MourouFrench physicist, winner of Nobel Prize in Physics 2018
- Gérard DebreuFrench economist and mathematician (1921–2004)
- Gerard WayAmerican singer (born 1977)
- Gérard DesarguesFrench mathematician and engineer, 1591–1661
- Gerard Manley HopkinsEnglish poet (1844–1889)
- Gérard HoullierFrench football manager (1947–2020)
- Gerard ter BorchDutch Golden Age painter (1617–1681)
- Gerard DavidEarly Netherlandish painter (c. 1460–1523)
Questions
- What does the name Gerard mean?
- Gerard means “spear”, “hard”, “brave”.
- How popular is the name Gerard?
- In 2025, 17 boys born in England and Wales were named Gerard, ranking 1,538th. Its peak was 1997, with 42 births.
- What are nicknames for Gerard?
- Common nicknames for Gerard include Ged.
- Is Gerard a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 58,932 US babies named Gerard since 1880 were boys.
- When was Gerard most popular?
- 1956 in the United States, when 1,617 babies were named Gerard, its highest rank at 180th.
- How do you pronounce Gerard?
- Gerard is /d͡ʒəˈɹɑɹd/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Gerard?
- Gerrard.
- Is Gerard also a surname?
- Yes. Gerard is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.