Gertrue
A feminine name of Old German origin meaning "spear maiden" or "strength".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Gertrue. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gertrue today is around 102 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gertrue births was 1919 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gertrue. 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 Gertrue is about 102 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gertrues were born before 1934.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gertrue. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1919
18 babies that year
Average age
102
years old
1936 SSA rank
#3,870
Tracked since 1905
Popularity
Gertrue: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gertrue from the 1900s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 101 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gertrue 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 Gertrue during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gertrue
The name Gertrue has its origins in the Germanic languages, stemming from the Old High German word "ger" meaning spear, and "trud" meaning strength or force. It is essentially a combination of these two words, forming a name that can be interpreted as "strong with the spear" or "mighty warrior."
In its earliest recorded forms, the name was spelled as Gertrude or Gertrud, and it gained popularity during the Middle Ages in various parts of Europe. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, a 7th-century Benedictine nun and abbess who is venerated as a patron saint of gardeners and travelers.
Throughout the medieval period, the name Gertrue was particularly popular among the nobility and aristocracy in regions such as Germany, France, and England. It was often associated with strength, courage, and military prowess, reflecting its Germanic roots.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Gertrue was Gertrude of Saxony, also known as Gertrude the Great, who lived from 1030 to 1115. She was a renowned abbess of the Benedictine monastery in Quedlinburg, Germany, and played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of her time.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Gertrude of Helfta, a 13th-century German mystic and writer who is remembered for her spiritual visions and mystical writings. Her work, known as the "Herald of Divine Love," had a profound influence on later Christian mysticism.
In the realm of literature, the name Gertrue is associated with the character of Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark, in William Shakespeare's famous play "Hamlet." She is portrayed as a complex and morally ambiguous figure, adding depth to the play's exploration of human nature and relationships.
Other notable individuals named Gertrue include Gertrude Bell (1868-1926), a British explorer, archaeologist, and writer who played a significant role in shaping the modern Middle East, and Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), an American writer, poet, and art collector who was a prominent figure in the Parisian avant-garde movement in the early 20th century.
The name Gertrue has endured through the centuries, albeit with varying levels of popularity in different regions and cultures. Despite its Germanic origins, it has transcended linguistic and cultural boundaries, becoming a part of the rich tapestry of names that reflect the diversity of human experiences and histories.
People
Gertrue + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gertrue 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
Gertrue: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gertrue?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gertrue 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Gertrue a common name?
We classify Gertrue as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 222 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gertrue most popular?
The single biggest year for Gertrue was 1919, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gertrue is about 102 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gertrue a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gertrue 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.