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.
- #453 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,711 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 58,820
- born since 1886
- 1950s
- peak decade
58,820 babies have been named Gerard since 1886, making it today's #1711 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Gerard recorded 58,820 times among boys since 1886, holding rank #1711 nationally today, ahead of 88% 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.
- #453 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,711 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 58,820 born since 1886
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gerard ranks #453 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,711 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 58,820 born since 1886, peaking in the 1950s.
- #453 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,711 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 58,820
- born since 1886
- 1950s
- peak decade
Gerard's 58,820 recorded births place it above 99% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
45 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Gerard compares
58,820 Top 4% higher than 96% of 13,930 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 159x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gerard | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 58,820 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,617 | 34 | 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 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
1950s is the heaviest window (14,216 births, 24% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Gerard sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Gerard most popular? ▼
Where is Gerard most popular? ▼
How long has the name Gerard been used? ▼
What names are similar to Gerard? ▼
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
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
Compare Gerard side by side: Gerard vs Gerald Gerard vs Gerardo Gerard vs Gerry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gerard
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gerard: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~139 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.