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Geraldine Name Meaning, Origins & History

Geraldine

Pronunciation: JERR-uhl-deen

Meaning Spear ruler Origin Germanic Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#2,447
TREND
434
Peak Years
1930, 1942, 1931
Lowest Years
1880, 1881, 1882
Energy Archetype
Reflective & Analytical

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Geraldine in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Geraldine

  • An established favorite: Geraldine held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 34 consecutive years, from 1916 through 1949.
  • More than 212 thousand babies named Geraldine: U.S. records list 212,094 babies given the name Geraldine from 1880 through 2025. Even 748 boys received the name Geraldine - about 1 boy for every 283 girls.

What Does the Name Geraldine Mean?

Geraldine is the feminine form of Gerald and carries the same Germanic meaning: "spear ruler" or "ruler with the spear." It is built from two Old High German elements: ger, "spear" (from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz), and wald, "rule" or "ruler" (from *waldaną).

The feminine form was made by adding the French feminine ending -ine, the same ending found in names such as Clementine and Ernestine. Geraldine is therefore best understood as the French-influenced feminine of Gerald rather than as a separate Germanic name with its own root.

Geraldine Name History & Origins

The Germanic name behind Gerald spread through the Franks and, after the Norman Conquest, entered English use in the Norman French form Gerald. The feminine Geraldine was formed from it by adding the French feminine suffix -ine, a pattern common among feminine names of French origin.

In Ireland the term "Geraldines" was used collectively for the FitzGerald family, Anglo-Norman lords descended from Gerald of Windsor and later holders of the earldoms of Kildare and Desmond. That dynastic label is related to the personal name through the same root, Gerald, though it refers to a family rather than to women named Geraldine.

As a given name, Geraldine acquired literary associations in the sixteenth century, when the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, addressed verses to a woman he called "the fair Geraldine," generally identified as Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, daughter of the ninth Earl of Kildare. The name also belongs to Lady Geraldine in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Christabel (1816). These are literary uses of an existing name, not its source.

How Popular is the Name Geraldine?

Geraldine remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1916 to 1949. Its highest annual birth count was in 1930, and people born that year turn 96 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Geraldine

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Geraldine Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.

Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.

✦ Geraldine's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Geraldine's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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