How Many People Are Named Gerald?
An estimated 241,408 people in the United States have the first name Gerald. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #213 overall. It is predominantly male (99.5%). The average bearer is 66 years old, and Gerald peaked in popularity in 1942 with 11,520 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Gerald as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Gerald paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Gerald is overwhelmingly male, 2,385 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With an average bearer age of 66, Gerald is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1970.
- Gerald has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1940s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
241,408
About 1 in 1,420 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.5% confidence
Average Age
66
years old
Peak Year
1942
11,520 births
Total Registered
451,178
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Gerald
Gerald is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 451,178 total births registered, 99.5% were male.
Gerald as a male name
Ranked #1,167 in 2024
178 male births in 2024
Peak: 1942 (11,483 births)
Gerald as a female name
Ranked #8,267 in 1993
10 female births in 1993
Peak: 1927 (56 births)
Gerald: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Gerald span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1940s, when 103,738 babies were registered. Gerald has declined significantly from its peak in the 1940s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Gerald by Decade
How has Gerald tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 223 | 223 | 0 | |
| 1890s | 753 | 753 | 0 | |
| 1900s | 2,014 | 2,014 | 0 | |
| 1910s | 16,617 | 16,522 | 95 | |
| 1920s | 44,867 | 44,521 | 346 | |
| 1930s | 83,272 | 82,818 | 454 | |
| 1940s | 103,738 | 103,342 | 396 | |
| 1950s | 82,974 | 82,625 | 349 | |
| 1960s | 55,654 | 55,300 | 354 | |
| 1970s | 26,380 | 26,149 | 231 | |
| 1980s | 15,646 | 15,509 | 137 | |
| 1990s | 9,820 | 9,797 | 23 | |
| 2000s | 5,146 | 5,146 | 0 | |
| 2010s | 3,031 | 3,031 | 0 | |
| 2020s | 1,043 | 1,043 | 0 | |
Gerald by State
Birth registrations for Gerald span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Alaska, Nevada, Delaware. On average, about 8,704 Geralds were registered per state.
Gerald + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Gerald as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Gerald
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
Gerald: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gerald?
We estimate approximately 241,408 people named Gerald are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 1,420 Americans share this first name.
Is Gerald a common name?
Gerald is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 451,178 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Gerald most popular?
Gerald reached peak popularity in 1942, when 11,520 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Gerald is approximately 66 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Gerald a male name?
Gerald is predominantly male. 99.5% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Gerald Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Gerald Smith, Gerald Johnson, Gerald Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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