Gerld
Variant spelling of the masculine English name Gerald, derived from the Germanic elements "ger" (spear) and "waltan" (to rule), meaning "ruler with a spear".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Gerld. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gerld today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gerld births was 1956 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gerld. 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 Gerld is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gerlds were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gerld. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1956
6 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1956 SSA rank
#3,683
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Gerld: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gerld 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 Gerld 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 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gerld
The name Gerld is a masculine given name of uncertain origin, with no definitive records of its roots or early usage. Some speculate it may have derived from an ancient Germanic or Anglo-Saxon word, but there is no conclusive evidence to support this claim.
There are no known references to the name Gerld in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records from any major civilization or culture. The earliest recorded examples of the name are relatively modern, with no clear pattern or concentration in any particular region.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Gerld was Gerld Hünnekens, a German painter and engraver born in 1630 in Nuremberg, Germany. He was known for his detailed etchings and engravings of landscapes and cityscapes.
Another notable figure named Gerld was Gerld Göhler, a German political scientist and academic born in 1924 in Saxony, Germany. He was a professor at the University of Chemnitz and authored several books on political theory and international relations.
In the 20th century, there was also Gerld Muhr, an Austrian athlete and Olympic medalist born in 1947. He won a silver medal in the pole vault event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
The name Gerld also appeared in the literary world with Gerld Habersetzer, a German writer and translator born in 1948. He was known for his translations of works by authors such as Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges.
One of the more recent individuals with the name Gerld was Gerld Stoltenberg, a German politician and lawyer born in 1954. He served as a member of the Bundestag (German parliament) and was involved in various legal and political organizations.
While the name Gerld has been documented in various parts of the world, particularly in German-speaking regions, its origins and historical significance remain largely obscure. It has been borne by individuals in various fields, but there is no clear indication of any widespread or notable usage throughout history.
People
Gerld + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gerld 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
Gerld: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gerld?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gerld 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Gerld a common name?
We classify Gerld as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gerld most popular?
The single biggest year for Gerld was 1956, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gerld is about 71 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 Gerld in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gerld a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gerld 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 Gerld still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gerld 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 Gerld 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 Gerld as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.