Meaning: Its source is gar wald, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Ruling spear."

Origin: "gar wald."

Popularity: The name Jerlene ranked 3963rd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: Other possible interpretations include ''expert spearman,'' ''spear of the ruler,'' and the equivalent of the contemporary expression ''straight shooter.''