Gereld
Masculine name of German origin meaning "spear ruler" or "ruler with a spear".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Gereld. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gereld today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gereld births was 1953 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gereld. 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 Gereld is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gerelds were born before 1970.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gereld. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1953
5 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1953 SSA rank
#4,016
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Gereld: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gereld 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 Gereld during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gereld
The name Gereld has its origins in the Germanic languages, emerging during the early medieval period. It is a compound name derived from the Old German elements "ger" meaning "spear" and "waldan" meaning "to rule" or "to govern." The combination of these elements suggests the name Gereld originally signified someone with authority or a ruler of spearmen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gereld can be found in the Frankish annals of the 8th century, where a nobleman bearing this name is mentioned. During the Carolingian era, the name gained popularity among the Frankish nobility and spread across western and central Europe.
In the 9th century, a Gereld is mentioned in the Annales Bertiniani, a Frankish chronicle that recorded events during the reigns of Charlemagne and his successors. This Gereld was a count and a prominent figure in the court of Louis the Pious, the Carolingian emperor.
The name also appears in various medieval charters and documents from regions such as modern-day Germany, France, and the Low Countries. One notable bearer of the name was Gereld of Aurillac, a French nobleman and saint who lived in the 9th century and founded the Benedictine abbey of Aurillac.
In the 11th century, a Gereld is recorded as a vassal of William the Conqueror, the Norman ruler who led the conquest of England in 1066. This Gereld is believed to have been among the Norman nobles who accompanied William and subsequently received lands in England.
Another historical figure with the name Gereld was Gereld of Wales, a 12th-century Welsh prince and heir to the Kingdom of Deheubarth in southern Wales. He was involved in conflicts with the Anglo-Norman rulers of the time and is mentioned in chronicles of the period.
People
Gereld + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gereld 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
Gereld: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gereld?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gereld 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Gereld a common name?
We classify Gereld as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gereld most popular?
The single biggest year for Gereld was 1953, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gereld is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gereld in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gereld a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gereld in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Gereld still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gereld in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gereld can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Gereld?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Gereld on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.