Geraline
A feminine name derived from the Germanic elements "ger" meaning "spear" and "lind" meaning "tender" or "soft."
Name Census estimates that about 223 living Americans carry the first name Geraline. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Geraline today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Geraline births was 1938 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Geraline. 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 Geraline is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Geralines were born before 1958.
People living today
223
~ 1 in 1,537,015 Americans
Peak year
1938
27 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1964 SSA rank
#5,651
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Geraline: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Geraline 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 199 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
Geraline 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 Geraline during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Geralines live
Origin
Meaning and history of Geraline
The name Geraline has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically deriving from the Old German words "ger" meaning "spear" and "lind" meaning "soft" or "tender." This combination suggests a meaning along the lines of "gentle spear" or "tender warrior."
In the early Middle Ages, the name Geraline emerged as a feminine variant of the male name Gerald, which held a similar meaning. It was initially most prevalent in regions populated by Germanic tribes, such as parts of modern-day Germany, France, and the Low Countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Geraline can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, dating back to the 11th century. Here, a noblewoman by the name of Geraline von Ballenstedt is mentioned as a landowner and benefactor of the local church.
In the 12th century, a Benedictine abbess named Geraline de Reynel is noted for her leadership of the Abbaye de Chelles near Paris. Her tenure is recorded in the abbey's chronicles as a period of spiritual and intellectual growth for the monastic community.
During the Renaissance period, the name Geraline gained popularity among the French nobility. One notable figure was Geraline de Navarre (1492-1549), a French duchess and patron of the arts who was known for her literary salons and support of humanist scholars.
In the 17th century, a Dutch painter named Geraline van Hoogstraten (1628-1677) gained recognition for her still-life paintings and portraits. Her works can be found in various museums across Europe, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Another notable Geraline was Geraline Bowers (1836-1892), an American educator and suffragist who worked tirelessly for women's rights and education reform in the latter half of the 19th century. She was a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement in the United States.
While the name Geraline has seen varying levels of popularity throughout history, it has maintained a presence across various cultures and regions, reflecting its Germanic roots and the diverse individuals who have borne this name over the centuries.
People
Geraline + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Geraline 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
Geraline: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Geraline?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 223 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Geraline 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 1,537,015 US residents.
Is Geraline a common name?
We classify Geraline as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 675 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Geraline most popular?
The single biggest year for Geraline was 1938, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Geraline is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Geraline a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Geraline 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.