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Gerald

(Redirected from Gerald (given name))
For other uses, see Gerald (disambiguation).

Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ger- ("spear") and suffix -wald ("rule").[1] Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original name of Gerald of Mayo, a British Roman Catholic monk who established a monastery in Mayo, Ireland in 670. Nearly two centuries later, Gerald of Aurillac, a French count, took a vow of celibacy and later became known as the Roman Catholic patron saint of bachelors. The name was in regular use during the Middle Ages but declined after 1300 in England. It remained a common name in Ireland, where it was a common name among the powerful FitzGerald dynasty. The name was revived in the Anglosphere in the 19th century by writers of historical novels along with other names that had been popular in the medieval era. British novelist Ann Hatton published a novel called Gerald Fitzgerald in 1831. Author Dorothea Grubb published her novel Gerald Fitzgerald in 1845, and Irish author Charles Lever published his novel, also entitled Gerald Fitzgerald, in 1859. The name had strong associations with Ireland in English-speaking countries. In the United States, it increased in use for boys after 1910 and peaked in use in 1939, when it was the 19th most popular name given to American boys. Jerry is the usual short form of the name.[2] Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and Irish language Gearalt. Gerald is less common as a surname. The name is also found in French as Gérald. Geraldine is the feminine equivalent.[3]

Gerald
Pronunciation/ˈdʒɛrəld/ JERR-əld
GenderMale
Origin
Meaning"rule of the spear", "bright spear"
Region of originGermanic
Other names
Related namesJerrold, Geraldine, Jerald, Gerard, Jerry, Gerry, Gerhard, Geert

Given name

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People with the name Gerald include:[3]

Politicians

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Sports

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Entertainment

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Other fields

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Disambiguation pages

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Fictional characters

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Surname

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 109. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  2. ^ Evans, Cleveland Kent (14 July 2024). "Evans: Gerald's ancient roots combine words for 'spear' and 'power'". omaha.com. Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "View Name: Gerald". behindthename.com. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
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