Total births
58,820
Boys' name · since 1886
Gerard
Since 1886, U.S. Social Security records show 58,820 babies named Gerard, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1532
- among boys today
- 58,820
- born since 1886
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
58,820 babies have been named Gerard since 1886, making it today's #1532 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Gerard recorded 58,820 times among boys since 1886, holding rank #1532 nationally today, ahead of 89% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1886 to 2025.
- #1532 among boys today
- 58,820 born since 1886
- 1950s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gerard is currently the #1532 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 58,820 born since 1886, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1532
- among boys today
- 58,820
- born since 1886
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Gerard vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1532
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Gerard was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
1,617 babies were named Gerard in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Gerard compares
58,820 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Gerard's all-time total is 160x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gerard | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 58,820 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,617 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gerard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Gerard splits its recorded history at 1958: 44% of all births land in the more recent half, 56% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1886 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 1,617 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Gerard at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#1,532
Active since
1886
Gerard popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 1,617
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Gerard popularity over time - girls
112 total births recorded since 1913 (Gerard as girls' name)
Gerard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Gerard's strongest decade.
14,216 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Gerard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 14
1880s
14 births
- 1890s 61
1890s
61 births
- 1900s 214
1900s
214 births
- 1910s 2,676
1910s
2,676 births
- 1920s 5,490
1920s
5,490 births
- 1930s 5,303
1930s
5,303 births
- 1940s
1940s
8,128 births
- 1950s
1950s
14,216 births
- 1960s
1960s
9,337 births
- 1970s 4,013
1970s
4,013 births
- 1980s 3,303
1980s
3,303 births
- 1990s 2,383
1990s
2,383 births
- 2000s 1,340
2000s
1,340 births
- 2010s 1,634
2010s
1,634 births
- 2020s 708
2020s
708 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 14,216 births (24% of all-time use).
How Gerard compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gerard's total volume
Gerard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gerard by state
Where Gerard concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 17,001 | 28.9% |
| #2 | Massachusetts | | 5,634 | 9.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 4,893 | 8.3% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 4,826 | 8.2% |
| #5 | California | | 2,133 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 2,105 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 2,044 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,873 | 3.2% |
New York share of Gerard's total US births 28.9%
Even split
17,001 of 58,820 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Gerard appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gerard? ▼
58,820 babies have been named Gerard since 1886. It currently ranks #1532 among boys. The peak year was 1956 with 1,617 births.
When was Gerard most popular? ▼
Gerard was most popular in the 1950s decade with 14,216 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Gerard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gerard are New York (17,001 births), Massachusetts (5,634 births), Pennsylvania (4,893 births).
How long has the name Gerard been used? ▼
Records for Gerard go back to 1886, giving 140 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Gerard? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gerald, Gerardo, Gerry, German, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gerard's data
- Gerard's decade-level peak was the 1950s (14,216 total births); usage has since declined to 708 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Gerards (17,001 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 Gerard
Nearby Names Like Gerard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gerard
Gerald Boy
#1171 448,966 births
Gerardo Boy
#595 55,015 births
Gerry Boy
#8351 14,468 births
German Boy
#1652 10,290 births
Gerson Boy
#1838 4,323 births
Compare Gerard side by side: Gerard vs Gerald Gerard vs Gerardo Gerard vs Gerry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gerard
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, 1886–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gerard: #1532 Boys' Name - 58,820 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gerard. 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 Gerard 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.