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

In French, this name is spelled with an accent -- Gérald.

Languages: This boy's name is used in German, English and French.

Nicknames: Gary, Gerri, Gerry, Jerri, Jerry, Ged and Geddy

Alternative Spellings: Gerold, Gerrald, Jerald, Jerold and Jerrold

Feminine Forms: Geraldine and Geralda

Non-English Forms: Geraldo and Giraldo

Popularity: The name Gerald ranked 416th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 58th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name makes a strong showing in state popularity data of the 1960s, but makes few (if any) appearances on lists compiled after that period.

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

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

Popularity: The name Gerald ranked 3565th 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.

This name is usually reserved for boys. In part, it may owe its position on the US Census popularity list to incorrectly filled-out census forms.

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