Gerald is used as a family name or surname in Ireland. It is 6 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Gerald
No. of characters: 6
Origin: Ireland
Meaning:

Gerald is the variant form of the Fitzgerald. In the Description of Ireland in Holinshed's Chronicle is the following passage, showing by what mean tricks this name became so widely diffused as we now find it. "The corrupt orthographie that divers use in writing this name, doth incorporate it to houses thereto linked in no kindrede:—Some write Gerolde sundry Geralde, divers very corruptly Gerrot, others Gerarde; but the true ortho graphie is Giralde, as may appear by Giraldus Cambrensis and others. Divers estraunge houses have also been shuffled in among this familie, by sundry gentlemen christening of their children, and calling them Giraldes, though their surnames were of other houses ; and if after it happened that Girald had issue Thomas, John, Robert, or such lyke, then they would bear the surname of Girald as Thomas Fitz. Girald, and thus within two or three discentes they shoore themselves among the kindrede of the Giraldines. This is a general fault in Ireland and Wales, and a great confusion and extinguishment of houses."

Gerald is a variant of Jarrold. A mispronunciation of Gerald.

Gerald is variant of Garrood. See Garrett - It has been decided legally that Garrett and Gerald are but one name. Jacob, Law Dict., title Misnomer. But Garrett is a hamlet in Surrey, famous for its mock-mayor.

Gerald is the form of Fitzgerald. Son of Gerald.

Gerald is a variant of Fitzgerald. The son of Gerald that means "firm, spear".

Variant of the Desmond. One who came from south Munster.

Descendant of Gerard or Gerald meaning "spear, firm".

Gerald is a variant of Demon. This name is found in the 16th Report of the Registrar-General. It may, perhaps, have descended from medieval times, and from some one who played the devil in a miracle play. A more probable origin, however, is from the northern dee, day, and mon, man; day-man, a man who works by the day; or from the French Du Mont.

How popular is Gerald?

Gerald is common in Tanzania, United States, Malawi, Chad, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, England, France, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, India, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Cameroon, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Dominican Republic.

Gerald is ranked 10748 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Gerald bearers increased by 5.01 per cent in 2010 US census to 5244 since 2000, the surname slipped by 195 spots and ranked at 6476. The last name was found in around 2 per hundred thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
Black 46.32 46.16
White 46.3 49.02
Hispanic or Latino 3.45 2.24
Others 2.23 1.62
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 1.11 0.58
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.59 0.38
Gerald is quite popular family name mostly used in Tanzania however Montserrat lie ahead in terms of density. Around 52346 people have been found who wears Gerald as their family name. Gerald is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with ten thousands of Gerald:
220 Tanzania32,206
Countries with thousands of Gerald:
5,913 United States7,424
557 Malawi4,235
908 Chad2,215
Countries with hundreds of Gerald:
5,092 Kenya924
12,344 Nigeria855
4,481 Ghana693
11,646 England491
21,711 France471
2,752 Papua New Guinea328
7,777 Malaysia251
98,400 India223
18,260 Canada200
1,225 Trinidad and Tobago160
17,045 Cameroon133
6,965 United Arab Emirates122
80,521 Indonesia118
4,002 Dominican Republic116
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
2,397 Singapore90
48,422 South Africa82
70,345 Germany78
414 Saint Lucia67
31,350 Uganda67
26,018 Zimbabwe65
378 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines59
38,491 Australia53
15 Montserrat52
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
106,971 DR Congo34
174,290 Brazil28
12,265 Portugal28
342 Saint Kitts and Nevis27
160,165 Philippines24
5,250 Panama23
261,263 Russia22
620 Antigua and Barbuda21
3,514 New Caledonia21
21,940 Denmark19
10,971 Haiti18
20,476 Chile17
644 Burundi16
25,890 New Zealand15
352,754 Thailand15
4,775 Guyana14
11,840 Taiwan13
35,802 Ivory Coast12
1,357 United States Virgin Islands12
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
18,674 Ecuador10
87,318 Belgium9
30,726 Qatar9
453 British Virgin Islands7
10,125 China7
21,198 Wales7
92,487 Pakistan6
156,558 Poland6
77,571 Switzerland6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Maid Julia Gerald from Great Britain aboard the Alert from Cork during the Irish famine. She is registered to be 48 years old when she arrived in USA on June 3, 1846. 22 years old George Gerald, Jane Gerald, aged 20, 35 years old Michael Gerald, Infant Hannah Gerald, Servant Thomas-T. Gerald, 24 years old Catherine Gerald, Johanna-F. Gerald, aged 21, John-T. Gerald (26) Workman, and 18 other Gerald around 46.15% of whom were servant while others worked as workman migrated to US.

From Italy

August. Gerald worked as blacksmith and hailed from Italy. 34 years old embarked for New York from Havre on Amerique and arrived on October 19, 1882.

From Germany

Andr. Gerald was Of unknown age when he migrated to USA on September 16, 1852. He lived in Roenneburg, Germany where he worked as laborer and took Wilhelmine from Bremen. Auguste-Amalie Gerald, Ernst-Robert Gerald (10), Juliana Gerald (43), Klara-Agnes Gerald (1), 11 years old Lina-There. Gerald, Farmer Marie Gerald, Antonin Gerald, 18 years old Dese-- Gerald, and 5 other Gerald around 60% of whom were laborer migrated to US from Bremen, Havre and Liverpool & Queenstown.

Gerald Namesakes

  • Jim Gerald, Australia comedian, circus clown, acrobat, writer
  • A Guy Called Gerald, British DJ, record producer and musician
  • Alfreda Gerald, American vocalist born in Morganton

Gerald Namesakes

  • Jim Gerald, Australia comedian, circus clown, acrobat, writer
  • A Guy Called Gerald, British DJ, record producer and musician
  • Alfreda Gerald, American vocalist born in Morganton

Related Family Names: