Gerard

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Gerard

Gender: Masculine
Language: English, French
Etymology:
Gerard is the English form of an old Germanic name, Gairhard. Originally it meant “Strong Spear,” from “ger” (spear); and “hard” (hardy, strong).

History:
Gerard appeared in England right before the Norman Conquest. It has stayed every since.

Pronunciation: jerr-ard.

Diminutives: Gary, Ged, Gerry, Jed, Jerry.

Alternates:
Dutch: Geert, Geeraard, Geerd, Gert.
English: Jerrard, Gerrard.
Flemish: Geeraard, Geerd, Gert.
French: Gérard
Frisisan: Gerrit, Garrit
German: Gerhard, Gerhardt, Gerhart.
German (Low): Geert, Gerrit, Gert.
Hungarian: Gellért.
Italian: Gerardo.
Spanish: Gerardo.

Surnames: Garett, Garret, Garrett, Jarrett, Jarritt

See also: Garrett, Gerardo, Jerry.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Gerard David (1460-1523)
Dutch painter.
Gerard Terborch (1617-1681)
Dutch painter.
Gerard Edelinck (1640-1707)
Flemish engraver.
Gérard de Nerval (1808-1855)
French poet.
Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)
English poet.
Gerhart Hauptmann (1862-1946)
German poet.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Gerard of Cremona (1114-1187)
European scholar and translator.
Geert Groote (1340-1384)
Dutch priest who founded a center for manuscript copying.
Gerard Debreu (1921-)
French-American economist.

Miscellaneous:
Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst (1755-1813)
Prussian general. Developed the modern general staff system.
Gerhard Rohlfs (1831-1896)
German explorer of North Africa.
Gerard Swope (1872-1957)
President of General Electric.

Political Figures:
Gérard Pelletier (1919-1997)
Canadian politician.
Gerhard Schröder (1944-)
German leader of the Social Democratic Party.

Scientists:
Gerhard De Geer (1858-1943)
Swedish geologist.
Gerhard Domagk (1895-1964)
German bacteriologist. Co-winner of the 1939 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
Gerhard Herzberg (1904-1999)
Canadian physicist. Co-winner of the 1871 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Gérard Peter Kuiper (1905-1973)
Dutch-American astronomer.
Gerard K. O’Neill (1927-1992)
American physicist.

Singers and Entertainers:
Gérard Philipe (1922-1959)
French actor.
Gérard Deardieu (1948-)
French actor.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.432 % named Jerry
0.040 % named Gerard
0.032 % named Gerardo
0.029 % named Garrett
0.011 % named Gerry
0.005 % named Jed

Popularity of Gerard:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 411th most popular.
1910-1920: 291st most popular.
1920-1930: 265th most popular.
1930-1940: 246th most popular.
1940-1950: 218th most popular.
1950-1960: 202nd most popular.
1960-1970: 257th most popular.
1970-1980: 388th most popular.
1980-1990: 526th most popular.
1990: 549th most popular.
1991: 588th most popular.
1992: 640th most popular.
1993: 654th most popular.
1994: 651st most popular.
1995: 733rd most popular.
1996: 749th most popular.
1997: 756th most popular.
1998: 827th most popular.
1999: 866th most popular.
2000: 834th most popular.
2001: N/A
2002: 994th most popular.
2003: N/A

In France...
1900: 124th most popular.
1910: 70th most popular.
1920: 50th most popular.
1930: 24th most popular.
1940: 8th most popular.
1950: 4th most popular.
1960: 19th most popular.
1970: 81st most popular.
1980: 187th most popular.
1981-2000: N/A