| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒɛrəld/ JERR-əld |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | "rule of the spear", "bright spear" |
| Region of origin | Germanic |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Jerrold, Geraldine, Jerald, Gerard, Jerry, Gerry, Gerhard, Geert |
Gerald is a masculine Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ger- ("spear") and suffix -wald ("rule"). 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.[1]