Gerldine
Of Old German origin, meaning "mighty with the spear" or "brave".
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the first name Gerldine. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gerldine today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gerldine births was 1933 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gerldine. 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 Gerldine is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gerldines were born before 1958.
People living today
133
~ 1 in 2,577,100 Americans
Peak year
1933
23 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1969 SSA rank
#7,855
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Gerldine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gerldine 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 140 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
Gerldine 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 Gerldine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gerldines live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gerldine
The name Gerldine is a variant of the feminine given name Gerlinda, which originated from the Germanic languages. The name is derived from the Old German elements "geri" meaning spear and "lind" meaning soft or tender. Together, these elements form the meaning "soft with a spear" or "tender warrior."
In the early Middle Ages, the name Gerlinda was popular among the Germanic tribes of central and western Europe, particularly in regions that are now part of modern-day Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 7th century, when it appeared in various medieval documents and records.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gerlinda of Saxony, a medieval noblewoman who lived in the 9th century. She was the wife of Louis the Younger, King of East Francia, and played a significant role in the political affairs of the Carolingian Empire.
Another notable historical figure with the name Gerlinda was a 10th-century German abbess and saint. Saint Gerlinda of Remiremont was the founder and first abbess of the Benedictine monastery of Remiremont in present-day France. She is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, and her feast day is celebrated on May 20th.
In the 11th century, the name Gerlinda appeared in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an important historical record of events in England. The chronicle mentions a woman named Gerlinda who was the wife of King Cnut the Great, one of the most powerful rulers of the Anglo-Saxon period.
As the name evolved over time, various spellings and variants emerged, including Gerldine. One prominent bearer of this variant was Gerldine of Aquitaine, a 12th-century noblewoman and patron of the arts. She was known for her patronage of troubadours and played a significant role in the development of courtly love poetry in medieval France.
Another notable figure with the name Gerldine was Gerldine of Piacenza, an Italian mystic and religious writer who lived in the 13th century. She is remembered for her spiritual writings and her contributions to the development of mystical theology in the Middle Ages.
While the name Gerldine has fallen out of common usage in modern times, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of historical names and serves as a reminder of the cultural and linguistic diversity that has shaped the development of given names over the centuries.
People
Gerldine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gerldine 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
Gerldine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gerldine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 133 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gerldine 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 2,577,100 US residents.
Is Gerldine a common name?
We classify Gerldine as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 483 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gerldine most popular?
The single biggest year for Gerldine was 1933, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gerldine is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gerldine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gerldine 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.