Gerid
A masculine name of Germanic origin, thought to mean "spear carrier".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Gerid. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gerid today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gerid births was 1980 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gerid. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gerid. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1980
6 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1982 SSA rank
#6,701
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Gerid: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gerid 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 Gerid during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gerid
The name Gerid originated in the ancient Germanic language group, specifically among the Gothic tribes that inhabited parts of modern-day Germany, Poland, and the Balkans around the 3rd to 5th centuries AD. The name is believed to be derived from the Proto-Germanic root "gēr" or "gair," meaning "spear" or "javelin," suggesting a connection to warfare or hunting.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gerid can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century Gothic manuscript containing a translation of the Bible into the Gothic language. This manuscript, preserved in Sweden, includes the name Gerid, which was likely a variant spelling or transliteration of the original Gothic form.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Gerid appeared in various historical records and chronicles across various regions of Europe. One notable figure was Gerid of Gaul, a Frankish nobleman and military commander who lived in the 7th century. He played a significant role in the campaigns of the Merovingian kings against the invading Saxons and is mentioned in several contemporary accounts.
In the 9th century, a Gerid was recorded as a prominent scholar and monk at the monastery of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. He was known for his contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts and the promotion of learning during the Carolingian Renaissance.
During the High Middle Ages, the name Gerid gained popularity among the German nobility. One notable figure was Gerid von Leiningen, a German knight and crusader who participated in the Third Crusade under the leadership of Frederick Barbarossa in the late 12th century. His exploits were chronicled in various accounts of the crusades.
Another historically significant bearer of the name Gerid was Gerid van Velzen, a Dutch merchant and explorer who lived in the late 15th century. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to establish trade relations with the Kingdom of Kongo, in present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. His travels and encounters with the Kongolese people were documented in his journals and letters, providing valuable insights into the early contacts between Europe and Africa.
While the name Gerid has fallen out of common use in modern times, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of historical names, carrying echoes of the ancient Germanic heritage and the exploits of those who bore it throughout the centuries.
People
Gerid + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gerid 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
Gerid: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gerid?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gerid 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Gerid a common name?
We classify Gerid as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gerid most popular?
The single biggest year for Gerid was 1980, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gerid is about 47 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 Gerid in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gerid a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gerid 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 Gerid still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gerid 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 Gerid 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 share the name Gerid?
Want to know how many Americans are named Gerid? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.