Jeraldean
A feminine name combining elements meaning "noble" and "pure".
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Jeraldean. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jeraldean today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jeraldean births was 1935 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jeraldean. 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 Jeraldean is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Jeraldeans were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jeraldean. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
1935
10 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1954 SSA rank
#6,120
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Jeraldean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jeraldean from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 37 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jeraldean 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 Jeraldean 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 Jeraldean
The name Jeraldean is an English given name that emerged in the early 20th century. It is a combination of the names Gerald and Dean, with the feminine suffix "-ean" added to create a unique feminine variation. The name Gerald is derived from the Germanic elements "gair" meaning spear and "waltan" meaning to rule or govern, signifying "ruler with a spear." The name Dean is derived from the Latin name "Decanus," meaning a leader or chief of ten.
Jeraldean does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, the names Gerald and Dean have been used throughout history, with Gerald being particularly popular among the English nobility.
The earliest recorded use of the name Jeraldean is difficult to pinpoint, but it likely emerged in the early 20th century as a creative variation of more traditional names. One of the earliest documented individuals with the name Jeraldean was Jeraldean Redding, an American musician and singer born in 1924 in Kentucky.
Another notable Jeraldean was Jeraldean Talley, an American gospel singer, and songwriter born in 1937 in Louisiana. She was known for her powerful vocals and contributions to the gospel music genre.
Jeraldean Grice was an American educator and author born in 1938 in Alabama. She wrote several books focused on children's literature and literacy education.
Jeraldean Woodson-Hunter was an American politician and civil rights activist born in 1945 in Arkansas. She served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and was a prominent figure in the state's civil rights movement.
Jeraldean Brownlee was an American singer and actress born in 1948 in Illinois. She had a successful career on Broadway and appeared in several musicals and stage productions.
While the name Jeraldean is not as common as other English names, it has been carried by notable individuals throughout the 20th century, each contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on history.
People
Jeraldean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jeraldean as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jeraldean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jeraldean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jeraldean 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 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Jeraldean a common name?
We classify Jeraldean as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 88 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jeraldean most popular?
The single biggest year for Jeraldean was 1935, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jeraldean is about 83 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 Jeraldean in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jeraldean a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jeraldean 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.
Is Jeraldean still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jeraldean 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 Jeraldean 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 Jeraldean?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.