Gertrude
Gertrude was given to 17 girls in 2025, #6,631 among girls’ names; 177,668 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 13,500 Americans named Gertrude and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (8% of everyone recorded); the median is 80 years old and half are between 71 and 88.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Gertrude by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Gertrude mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Gertrude is “a female given name from the Germanic languages.” Its etymology gives the senses “spear” (*gaizaz) and “strength” (*þrūþiz) and “maiden, dear” (*trut-).
From Old French [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz (“spear”) + *þrūþiz (“strength”) or *trut- (“maiden, dear”) ; name of a Belgian seventh century saint.
/ˈɡɝtɹud/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Gertrude?
#6,631 among girls’ names, 2025
Gertrude fell from #5,184 in 2015 to #6,631 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born fell from 14.6 to 10.6 per million.
6,315 babies in 1917, the peak
Gertrude peaked in 1917, when 6,315 babies were given it (6,300 girls, #37 among girls’ names). The 17 births of 2025 are under 1% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | #6,631 | 0.01 |
| 2024 | 29 | #4,698 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 31 | #4,492 | 0.02 |
| 2022 | 32 | #4,405 | 0.02 |
| 2021 | 30 | #4,541 | 0.02 |
| 2020 | 32 | #4,291 | 0.02 |
| 2019 | 34 | #4,197 | 0.02 |
| 2018 | 25 | #5,212 | 0.01 |
| 2017 | 26 | #5,096 | 0.02 |
| 2016 | 36 | #4,116 | 0.02 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 26 | #5,184 | 0.01 |
| 2014 | 20 | #6,282 | 0.01 |
| 2013 | 18 | #6,832 | 0.01 |
| 2012 | 17 | #7,240 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 17 | #7,221 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 17 | #7,309 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 8 | #12,843 | under 0.01 |
| 2008 | 16 | #7,863 | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 18 | #7,182 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 15 | #7,997 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 14 | #8,035 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 17 | #6,884 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 9 | #10,725 | under 0.01 |
| 2002 | 11 | #9,050 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9,618 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 17 | #6,291 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 13 | #7,384 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 5 | #14,934 | under 0.01 |
| 1997 | 7 | #11,231 | under 0.01 |
| 1996 | 15 | #6,159 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 9 | #9,014 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 13 | #6,809 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 8 | #9,883 | under 0.01 |
| 1992 | 9 | #8,982 | under 0.01 |
| 1991 | 14 | #6,350 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 9 | #8,717 | under 0.01 |
| 1989 | 17 | #5,114 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 22 | #4,057 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 11 | #6,461 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 13 | #5,535 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 14 | #5,153 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 16 | #4,554 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 21 | #3,720 | 0.01 |
| 1982 | 24 | #3,449 | 0.01 |
| 1981 | 22 | #3,652 | 0.01 |
| 1980 | 28 | #3,086 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 19 | #3,947 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 19 | #3,822 | 0.01 |
| 1977 | 20 | #3,660 | 0.01 |
| 1976 | 21 | #3,317 | 0.01 |
| 1975 | 43 | #2,032 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 39 | #2,108 | 0.03 |
| 1973 | 55 | #1,656 | 0.04 |
| 1972 | 55 | #1,636 | 0.04 |
| 1971 | 55 | #1,669 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 54 | #1,711 | 0.03 |
| 1969 | 53 | #1,655 | 0.03 |
| 1968 | 58 | #1,494 | 0.04 |
| 1967 | 71 | #1,288 | 0.04 |
| 1966 | 98 | #1,060 | 0.06 |
| 1965 | 112 | #975 | 0.06 |
| 1964 | 153 | #841 | 0.08 |
| 1963 | 169 | #800 | 0.09 |
| 1962 | 152 | #856 | 0.08 |
| 1961 | 173 | #795 | 0.09 |
| 1960 | 211 | #702 | 0.10 |
| 1959 | 220 | #674 | 0.11 |
| 1958 | 243 | #630 | 0.12 |
| 1957 | 300 | #553 | 0.15 |
| 1956 | 340 | #508 | 0.17 |
| 1955 | 371 | #471 | 0.19 |
| 1954 | 393 | #443 | 0.20 |
| 1953 | 422 | #419 | 0.22 |
| 1952 | 476 | #378 | 0.26 |
| 1951 | 558 | #334 | 0.31 |
| 1950 | 613 | #314 | 0.36 |
| 1949 | 657 | #302 | 0.38 |
| 1948 | 651 | #301 | 0.38 |
| 1947 | 702 | #298 | 0.40 |
| 1946 | 639 | #290 | 0.41 |
| 1945 | 664 | #262 | 0.51 |
| 1944 | 813 | #232 | 0.61 |
| 1943 | 867 | #227 | 0.62 |
| 1942 | 932 | #215 | 0.69 |
| 1941 | 997 | #190 | 0.83 |
| 1940 | 1,014 | #186 | 0.89 |
| 1939 | 1,092 | #173 | 1.0 |
| 1938 | 1,167 | #172 | 1.1 |
| 1937 | 1,319 | #159 | 1.2 |
| 1936 | 1,316 | #156 | 1.3 |
| 1935 | 1,425 | #145 | 1.4 |
| 1934 | 1,582 | #135 | 1.5 |
| 1933 | 1,619 | #133 | 1.6 |
| 1932 | 1,968 | #124 | 1.8 |
| 1931 | 2,094 | #115 | 2.0 |
| 1930 | 2,555 | #96 | 2.3 |
| 1929 | 2,725 | #95 | 2.4 |
| 1928 | 3,011 | #86 | 2.6 |
| 1927 | 3,508 | #78 | 2.9 |
| 1926 | 3,852 | #71 | 3.2 |
| 1925 | 3,892 | #70 | 3.2 |
| 1924 | 4,543 | #60 | 3.6 |
| 1923 | 4,700 | #59 | 3.9 |
| 1922 | 5,082 | #48 | 4.2 |
| 1921 | 5,349 | #46 | 4.3 |
| 1920 | 5,797 | #42 | 4.8 |
| 1919 | 6,014 | #39 | 5.3 |
| 1918 | 6,264 | #39 | 5.4 |
| 1917 | 6,300 | #37 | 5.8 |
| 1916 | 6,243 | #35 | 6.0 |
| 1915 | 6,077 | #35 | 6.2 |
| 1914 | 4,938 | #32 | 6.5 |
| 1913 | 4,015 | #33 | 6.4 |
| 1912 | 3,887 | #30 | 7.0 |
| 1911 | 2,895 | #30 | 6.9 |
| 1910 | 2,932 | #26 | 7.4 |
| 1909 | 2,622 | #25 | 7.6 |
| 1908 | 2,562 | #25 | 7.7 |
| 1907 | 2,499 | #24 | 7.8 |
| 1906 | 2,375 | #22 | 8.0 |
| 1905 | 2,276 | #27 | 7.8 |
| 1904 | 2,269 | #25 | 8.2 |
| 1903 | 2,253 | #24 | 8.6 |
| 1902 | 2,207 | #27 | 8.4 |
| 1901 | 1,964 | #27 | 8.2 |
| 1900 | 2,580 | #23 | 8.6 |
| 1899 | 2,110 | #23 | 9.1 |
| 1898 | 2,302 | #24 | 8.9 |
| 1897 | 2,135 | #23 | 9.1 |
| 1896 | 2,221 | #23 | 9.3 |
| 1895 | 2,129 | #24 | 9.1 |
| 1894 | 1,908 | #25 | 8.6 |
| 1893 | 1,811 | #24 | 8.5 |
| 1892 | 1,924 | #23 | 9.1 |
| 1891 | 1,645 | #26 | 8.9 |
| 1890 | 1,713 | #26 | 9.0 |
| 1889 | 1,543 | #28 | 8.7 |
| 1888 | 1,468 | #28 | 8.2 |
| 1887 | 1,251 | #28 | 8.6 |
| 1886 | 1,249 | #27 | 8.6 |
| 1885 | 1,086 | #29 | 8.2 |
| 1884 | 1,063 | #28 | 8.2 |
| 1883 | 923 | #25 | 8.2 |
| 1882 | 939 | #26 | 8.7 |
| 1881 | 791 | #24 | 8.6 |
| 1880 | 787 | #25 | 8.6 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Gertrude a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Gertrude has been given almost only to girls: 568 boys in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Gertrude: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Gertrude, and how old are they?
13,500 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 8% of the 177,668 Americans ever recorded as Gertrude. The median Gertrude alive today is 80 years old; half are between 71 and 88.
The 2020 Census counted 20,978 people named Gertrude (20,941 women and girls, 37 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 21,472 born in the U.S. The Census count is 2% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 6,110 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 5,500 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 733 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 230 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 209 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 354 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Gertrude born?
The states with the most babies named Gertrude are New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, with 30% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Massachusetts is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 17,378 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| Pennsylvania | 12,365 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Massachusetts | 6,590 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| Illinois | 6,433 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Michigan | 5,301 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Ohio | 5,085 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| New Jersey | 4,845 | not ranked | 1.3× |
| Wisconsin | 3,744 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Texas | 3,209 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Louisiana | 3,021 | not ranked | 1.1× |
Where Gertrude is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Gertrude is most over-represented in New York: since 1910 it was given 1.5 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Gertrude with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 177,795 babies since 1880, Gertrude is the most given (100% of them).
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Gertrude
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Gertrude and names like it
- Compare Gertrude and GerturdeBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sGertrude peaked in 1917.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Gertrude since 1910.
- Germanic namesWiktionary’s origin for Gertrude: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1917The year the most babies were named Gertrude.
- The names of the Silent GenerationMost people named Gertrude alive today were born 1928-1945.
- Names starting with GMost given first.