Gerard
Say it: JER-ard/ˈd͡ʒɛɹɑːd/
BoyMeans brave spear6 letters2 syllables
#348
in Ireland (2025)
#336 with spellings combined
11
babies in 2025
#10
best rank (1964)
14,484
babies since 1964
Down 108
10-year rank change
Gerard through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | #336 |
| 2024 | 17 | #251 |
| 2023 | 14 | #294 |
| 2022 | 14 | #297 |
| 2021 | 15 | #285 |
| 2020 | 16 | #271 |
| 2019 | 35 | #166 |
| 2018 | 18 | #259 |
| 2017 | 27 | #210 |
| 2016 | 27 | #209 |
| 2015 | 24 | #228 |
| 2014 | 40 | #164 |
| 2013 | 31 | #197 |
| 2012 | 39 | #174 |
| 2011 | 31 | #198 |
| 2010 | 27 | #214 |
| 2009 | 26 | #214 |
| 2008 | 44 | #152 |
| 2007 | 47 | #134 |
| 2006 | 37 | #144 |
| 2005 | 41 | #132 |
| 2004 | 37 | #131 |
| 2003 | 34 | #132 |
| 2002 | 49 | #101 |
| 2001 | 46 | #104 |
| 2000 | 60 | #88 |
| 1999 | 70 | #81 |
| 1998 | 58 | #79 |
| 1997 | 94 | #79 |
| 1996 | 100 | #71 |
| 1995 | 123 | #61 |
| 1994 | 127 | #58 |
| 1993 | 127 | #58 |
| 1992 | 156 | #54 |
| 1991 | 191 | #41 |
| 1990 | 213 | #37 |
| 1989 | 232 | #35 |
| 1988 | 276 | #34 |
| 1987 | 299 | #35 |
| 1986 | 343 | #29 |
| 1985 | 345 | #27 |
| 1984 | 341 | #28 |
| 1983 | 386 | #26 |
| 1982 | 408 | #24 |
| 1981 | 408 | #25 |
| 1980 | 429 | #21 |
| 1979 | 397 | #22 |
| 1978 | 415 | #17 |
| 1977 | 443 | #18 |
| 1976 | 422 | #20 |
| 1975 | 456 | #18 |
| 1974 | 421 | #22 |
| 1973 | 486 | #16 |
| 1972 | 503 | #16 |
| 1971 | 524 | #16 |
| 1970 | 637 | #11 |
| 1969 | 555 | #12 |
| 1968 | 607 | #11 |
| 1967 | 684 | #10 |
| 1966 | 749 | #10 |
| 1965 | 837 | #10 |
| 1964 | 815 | #10 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Gerard mean?
Brave spear
Germanic, from gari (spear) and hard (hard, brave), through Old French.
Say it right
JERard
The story of Gerard
Gerard is an old Germanic name made of two parts: gari, a spear, and hard, meaning hard or brave. It came into English through Old French in the Middle Ages.
In Ireland the name is closely linked with Saint Gerard Majella, the patron saint of mothers and expectant mothers. Another well-known bearer is the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, who spent his last years teaching in Dublin and is buried at Glasnevin.
Gerard was one of Ireland’s most common boys’ names when the CSO records begin. It was number 10 in 1964 and stayed there for four years, and its biggest year was 1965, with 837 boys. It then declined slowly and left the top 100 in the early 2000s. In Northern Ireland its highest place was 57th, in 1997.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Gerard (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Gerard
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
GerryGer
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Gerard | 11 | 14,484 |
In Northern Ireland
#270 in 2025 with 6 babies. Best rank #57 (1997); 515 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.