Total births
211,349
Girls' name · since 1880
Geraldine
Geraldine has 211,349 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1930 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1997
- among girls today
- 211,349
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Geraldine is the #1997 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 211,349 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Geraldine recorded 211,349 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #1997 nationally today, ahead of 89% of girls, peaking in the 1930s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1997 among girls today
- 211,349 born since 1880
- 1930s peak decade
- 89% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Geraldine is currently the #1997 girls' name in America, more common than 89% of girls - 211,349 born since 1880, peaking in the 1930s.
- #1997
- among girls today
- 211,349
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Geraldine vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1997
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 89% of names given to girls today.
1930s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Geraldine was born in this single decade.
1930
Single peak year
5,448 babies were named Geraldine in 1930 - its busiest year on record.
How Geraldine compares
211,349 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Geraldine's all-time total is 553x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Geraldine | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 211,349 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,448 | 48 | 19,840 |
Geraldine's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Geraldine splits its recorded history at 1953: 16% of all births land in the more recent half, 84% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1880 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1930 peak of 5,448 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Geraldine at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1930
Current rank
#1,997
Active since
1880
Geraldine popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1930)
- 5,448
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Geraldine popularity over time - boys
748 total births recorded since 1913 (Geraldine as boys' name)
Geraldine by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Geraldine's strongest decade.
50,042 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Geraldine births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 192
1880s
192 births
- 1890s 758
1890s
758 births
- 1900s 2,589
1900s
2,589 births
- 1910s 18,990
1910s
18,990 births
- 1920s
1920s
48,044 births
- 1930s
1930s
50,042 births
- 1940s
1940s
47,933 births
- 1950s
1950s
24,222 births
- 1960s 9,789
1960s
9,789 births
- 1970s 2,232
1970s
2,232 births
- 1980s 1,561
1980s
1,561 births
- 1990s 1,198
1990s
1,198 births
- 2000s 1,417
2000s
1,417 births
- 2010s 1,719
2010s
1,719 births
- 2020s 663
2020s
663 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 50,042 births (24% of all-time use).
How Geraldine compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Geraldine's total volume
Geraldine vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Geraldine by state
Where Geraldine concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 21,596 | 10.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 18,087 | 8.6% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 13,379 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 10,780 | 5.1% |
| #5 | California | | 10,065 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 9,708 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 7,073 | 3.3% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 6,691 | 3.2% |
New York share of Geraldine's total US births 10.2%
Even split
21,596 of 211,349 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Geraldine appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Geraldine? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 211,349 babies named Geraldine. Today it holds rank #1997 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1930, with 5,448 births.
When was Geraldine most popular? ▼
Geraldine was most popular in the 1930s decade with 50,042 total births. The single peak year was 1930.
Where is Geraldine most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Geraldine are New York (21,596 births), Pennsylvania (18,087 births), Illinois (13,379 births).
How long has the name Geraldine been used? ▼
Records for Geraldine go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Geraldine? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gertrude, Gertie, Geri, Germaine, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Geraldine's data
- Geraldine's decade-level peak was the 1930s (50,042 total births); usage has since declined to 663 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Geraldines (21,596 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Geraldine
Nearby Names Like Geraldine
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Geraldine
Gertrude Girl
#4670 177,100 births
Gertie Girl
8,532 births
Geri Girl
8,021 births
Germaine Girl
7,910 births
Gerry Girl
6,657 births
Compare Geraldine side by side: Geraldine vs Gertrude Geraldine vs Gertie Geraldine vs Geri
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Geraldine
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Geraldine: #1997 Girls' Name - 211,349 Births, Peak 1930." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/geraldine. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Geraldine draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.