Geraldean
Feminine variant of the name Gerald, meaning "ruler with a spear".
Name Census estimates that about 230 living Americans carry the first name Geraldean. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Geraldean today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Geraldean births was 1934 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Geraldean. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Geraldean is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Geraldeans were born before 1956.
People living today
230
~ 1 in 1,490,236 Americans
Peak year
1934
41 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1963 SSA rank
#6,959
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Geraldean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Geraldean from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 287 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Geraldean by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Geraldean during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Geraldeans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas recorded the most babies named Geraldean, while Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Geraldean
The given name Geraldean is a feminine form derived from the masculine name Gerald, which has its origins in the Germanic languages. The name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 9th or 10th century.
Gerald itself is a combination of the Germanic elements "ger" meaning "spear" and "wald" meaning "ruler" or "leader." The name can be interpreted as "ruler with a spear" or "brave with a spear." The name was popular among the Franks and other Germanic tribes during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Geraldean can be found in the "Book of Leinster," an ancient Irish manuscript dating back to the 12th century. In this text, there are references to a female figure named "Geraldena," which is likely a variant spelling of Geraldean.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Geraldean. One of the earliest was Geraldean of Aquitaine (1122-1195), a French noblewoman and patron of the arts. She was known for her support of troubadours and her influence in the cultural life of medieval France.
Another prominent figure was Geraldean de Warrenne (1292-1349), an English noblewoman and heiress to the earldom of Surrey. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her time and was involved in the conflicts between Edward II and his barons.
In the 16th century, Geraldean Fitzgerald (1532-1610) was an Irish noblewoman and a member of the powerful Fitzgerald dynasty. She was an influential figure during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and was known for her defiance against English rule.
During the 18th century, Geraldean Browning (1714-1790) was a British painter and one of the few female artists of her time to achieve recognition. She was renowned for her portraits and was elected as a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
In more recent times, Geraldean Farmer (1913-2010) was an American author and educator. She wrote several books on African American history and culture, and her works shed light on the experiences of Black people in the United States.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Geraldean throughout history. The name has endured for centuries and has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and cultures, reflecting its rich heritage and historical significance.
People
Geraldean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Geraldean as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Geraldean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Geraldean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 230 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Geraldean going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,490,236 US residents.
Is Geraldean a common name?
We classify Geraldean as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 916 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Geraldean most popular?
The single biggest year for Geraldean was 1934, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Geraldean is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Geraldean a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Geraldean in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.