Gerald

From Old French, ultimately from Frankish *gaiʀ (“spear”) + *wald (“might, power”). The name was brought to England by the Normans. It survived in Ireland, and was revived in the 19th century.

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛɹəld/

Gerald (countable and uncountable, plural Geralds)

1. A male given name from the Germanic languages.
   • 1855 Maturin Murray Ballou: The Turkish Spies Ali Abubeker Kaled, and Zenobia Marrita Mustapha. A.R.Orton 1855. page 150:

     Helen interrupted her sister, by asking her opinion of the how the name, Gerald Vernon, sounded.

     "Oh, charmingly!" said Charlotte, and, raising herself above her sister, and reclining her splendid head upon her arm, continued she, "Why, do you know such a one?"

     "I do," said Helen, "It's a pretty name, that's all," and she tried to draw her sister's attention off, […]

   • 1998 Barbara Vine ( Ruth Rendell ): The Chimney Sweeper's Boy. →ISBN page 168:

     "You're saying my father's favourite names were Gerald and Candless?"

     "Not likely, is it? But Gerald must have been a favourite name with Kathleen and George Candless or they wouldn't have called their son by it?"

2. A surname.
3. A placename
   1. A village in the Rural Municipality of Spy Hill No. 152, Saskatchewan, Canada.
   2. A place in the United States
      1. A former unincorporated community in Dale County, Alabama.
      2. An unincorporated community in Champaign County, Illinois.
      3. An unincorporated community in Tobin Township, Perry County, Indiana.
      4. A small city in Franklin County, Missouri.
      5. An unincorporated community in Henry County, Ohio.
      6. The former name of Ponder, a town in Texas.

• (variants): Jerald, Jerrold, Garrett
• (pet forms): Gerry, Jerry
• (female given names): Geraldine, Jerilyn
• (surnames): Fitzgerald, Giraud, Giroud, Geralds, Geraldson

• Gardel, Legrad, dargle, glared, redgal

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Gerald m (proper noun, strong, genitive Geralds)

1. a male given name from the Germanic languages, equivalent to English Gerald

• Gerold
• Gerwald