Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this case, those constituents are ''gari'' > ''ger-'' (meaning 'spear') and -''hard'' (meaning 'hard/strong/brave'). Common forms of the name are Gerard (English, Scottish, Irish, Dutch, Polish and Catalan); Gerrard (English, Scottish, Irish); Gerardo ( Italian, and Spanish); Geraldo ( Portuguese); Gherardo ( Italian); Gherardi ( Northern Italian, now only a surname); Gérard (variant forms ''Girard'' and ''Guérard'', now only surnames,

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

); Gearóid ( Irish); Gerhardt and Gerhart/

Gerhard Gerhard is a name of Germanic origin and may refer to: Given name * Gerhard (bishop of Passau) (fl. 932–946), German prelate * Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (1292–1340), German prince, regent of Denmark * Gerhard Barkhorn (1919– ...

/ Gerhardus ( German, Dutch, and Afrikaans); Gellért ( Hungarian); Gerardas (

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

) and Gerards/Ģirts ( Latvian); Γεράρδης ( Greece). A few abbreviated forms are

Gerry Gerry is both a surname and a masculine or feminine given name. As a given name, it is often a short form (hypocorism) of Gerard, Gerald or Geraldine. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814), fifth US vice presi ...

and

Jerry Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...

(English); Gerd (German) and Gert (Afrikaans and Dutch); Gerrit (Afrikaans and Dutch); Gertjie (Afrikaans); Geert (Dutch) and Жоро ( Bulgarian). The introduction of the name 'Gerard' into the English language took place following the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...

in 1066. Its original forms in Old French were “Gerard, Gerart” ʒeʁɑʁand “Girart”.

Patronymic surname A patronymic surname is a surname originated from the given name of the father or a patrilineal ancestor. Different cultures have different ways of producing patronymic surnames. For example, early patronymic Welsh surnames were the result of th ...

s derived from a form of Gerard include

Garrard Garrard may refer to: *Garrard (surname) *Garrard (automobile) *Garrard, Kentucky *Garrard County, Kentucky See also *Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company *Garrard & Co Garrard & Co. Limited, formerly Asprey & Garrard Limited, design ...

, Garritsen, Gerard, Geertsen, Gerardet, Gerardi,

Gerdes ''Gerdes'' , or ''Geerdes'', is a surname of German origin. It is a patronymic name, i.e. it comes from "son of Gerhard". When around 1800 the Prussian government under French occupation decided to fix the surnames, the contemporary "son of Gerhard ...

, Gerrard, Gerretsen, Gerrits(e), Gerritsen, Ghiraldi, and

Giraud Giraud is a surname. It is a variant of the Proto-Germanic name '' Gerard'', meaning spear-strong. Notable people with this surname * Albert Giraud (1860–1929), Belgian poet * Alexis Giraud-Teulon (1839–1916), French academic, lawyer and tran ...

. The name Gerald, while phonetically similar to Gerard, derives from a slightly different set of constituents: ''ger'' and ''wald'' (meaning 'rule/lead').

First name

Academics

* Gerard Bolland (1854–1922), Dutch philosopher and radical * Gerard Clauson (1891–1974), English Orientalist * Gerard of Cremona (1114–1187), Italian translator of scientific Arabic works * Gerard De Geer (1858–1943), Swedish geologist * Gerard Heymans (1857–1930), Dutch philosopher and psychologist * Gerard Hendrik Hofstede (born 1928), Dutch social psychologist * Gerard 't Hooft (born 1946), Dutch theoretical physicist * Gerard de Jode (1509–1591), Dutch cartographer, engraver and publisher *

Gerard Krefft Johann Ludwig (Louis) Gerard Krefft (17 February 1830 – 19 February 1881), a talented artist and draughtsman, and the Curator of the Australian Museum for 13 years (1861-1874), was one of Australia's first and most influential zoologists and ...

(1830–1881), Australian zoologist * Gerard de Kremer (1512–1594), Flemish cartographer, geographer and cosmographer * Gerard Kuiper (1905–1973), Dutch–American astronomer * Gerard Labuda (1916–2010), Polish historian * Gerard van der Leeuw (1890–1950), Dutch historian and philosopher of religion * Gerard K. O'Neill (1927–1992), American physicist and space activist * Gerard Salton (1927–1995), German–born American computer scientist * Gerard van Swieten (1700–1772), Dutch–Austrian physician

Arts

Music

* Gerard Joling (born 1960), Dutch pop singer * Gerard Mortier (1943–2014), Belgian opera director and administrator * Gerard Nolan (1946–1992), American rock drummer * Gerard Schwarz (born 1947), American conductor * Gerard Way (born 1977), American singer-songwriter and comic book writer

Theater and film

* Gerard Depardieu (born 1948), French actor, filmmaker, and vineyard owner * Gerard Montgomery Bluefeather (1887–1963), American movie actor known as "Monte Blue" * Gerard Butler (born 1969), Scottish actor * Gerard Damiano (1928–2008), American director of adult films * Gerard Marenghi (born 1920), American actor * Gerard McSorley (born 1950), Irish actor *

Gerard Murphy (Irish actor) Eamon Gerard Murphy (14 October 1948 – 26 August 2013) was a Northern Irish film, television and theatre actor. Life and career Born in 1948 in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, Murphy began his career on stage with the Glasgow Citizens ...

(1948–2013), Northern Irish actor *

Gerard Kenneth Tierney Scott Brady (born Gerard Kenneth Tierney; September 13, 1924 – April 16, 1985) was an American film and television actor best known for his roles in Western films and as a ubiquitous television presence. He played the title role in the televi ...

(1924–1985), American TV and western actor known as Scott Brady

Visual arts

* Gerard Bilders (1838–1865), Dutch painter and art collector * Gerard ter Borch (1617–1681), Dutch painter * Gerard David (1460–1523), Dutch painter * Gerard Dou (1613–1675), Dutch genre painter *

Gerard Douffet Gerard Douffet (6 August 1594 – 1660/1661), also known as Doufeet or Duffeit, was a Walloon painter. He was born at Liège in 1594, and studied for some time at Antwerp, Belgium in the school of Rubens, and afterwards in Italy. He composed a ...

(1594–1660), Flemish painter * Gerard Edelinck (1640–1707), Flemish–born French engraver * Gerard Hoet (1648–1733), Dutch painter and engraver *

Gerard van Honthorst Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painting, Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickn ...

(1592–1656), Dutch painter *

Gerard Horenbout Gerard Horenbout (c. 1465–c. 1541) was a Flemish miniaturist, a late example of the miniature tradition in Early Netherlandish painting. He is "likely and widely accepted" to be the Master of James IV of Scotland. Biography Horenbout lived a ...

(c. 1465–c. 1541), Flemish miniaturist a.k.a. the Master of James IV of Scotland * Gerard Houckgeest (c. 1600–1661), Dutch architectural and church interior painter * Gerard de Lairesse (1641–1711), Dutch painter and art theorist * Gerard Moerdijk (1890–1958), South African architect *

Gerard Thomas Rietveld Gerrit Rietveld (24 June 1888 – 25 June 1964) was a Dutch furniture designer and architect. Early life Rietveld was born in Utrecht on 24 June 1888 as the son of a joiner. He left school at 11 to be apprenticed to his father and enrolled at ni ...

(1888–1964), Dutch furniture designer and architect * Gerard Seghers (1591–1651), Flemish painter, art collector, and art dealer * Gerard van Spaendonck (1746–1822), Dutch floral painter

Writing

* Gerard F. Conway (born 1952), American writer of comic books and television shows * Gerard Malanga (born 1943), American poet, photographer, filmmaker, curator and archivist. *

Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...

(1844–1889), British poet * Gérard de Nerval (1808–1855), nom-de-plume of French writer, poet, and translator Gérard Labrunie * Gerard Reve (1923–2006), Dutch writer * Gerard Walschap (1898–1989), Belgian writer

Business

* Gerard Adriaan Heineken (1841–1893), Dutch founder of Heineken beer *

Gerard Kleisterlee Gerard Johannes Kleisterlee (born 28 September 1946) is a Dutch businessman and engineer. He is the chairman of Vodafone, and the former president and CEO of Philips. Early life Born in Germany in 1946 to Dutch and German parents, he was raised ...

(born 1946), Dutch business executive, CEO of Philips * Gerard Philips (1858–1942), Dutch co–founder of "Philips" * Gerard Reynst (1560s–1615), Dutch merchant and Governor–General of the Dutch East Indies

Crime

Gerard Conlon Gerard Patrick "Gerry" Conlon (1 March 1954 – 21 June 2014) was an Irish man known for being one of the Guildford Four who spent 15 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of being a Provisional IRA bomber. Biography Gerard Conlon was ...

(1954–2014), wrongfully imprisoned Northern Irishman, subject of "In the Name of the Father," * Gerard John Schaefer (1946–1995), American serial killer * Gerard Mahon, part of a married Irish couple who with wife was murdered in

Twinbrook, Belfast Poleglass () is an area of west Belfast in Northern Ireland. It is the name of a townland, a modern electoral ward, and a housing estate. The townland is situated in the civil parish of Derriaghy and the historic Barony of Belfast Upper. ...

Medieval rulers

* Gerard I of Paris (d. 779), count of Paris * Gerard, Count of Auvergne (died 841), son of Pepin I * Gerhard I of Metz (c. 875–910), count of Metz *

Gerard, Duke of Lorraine Gerard ( – 14 April 1070), also known as Gerard the Wonderful, was a Lotharingian nobleman. He was the count of Metz and Châtenois from 1047 to 1048, when his brother Duke Adalbert resigned them to him upon his becoming the Duke of Upper L ...

(c. 1030–1070), Lotharingian nobleman * Gerard Grenier (died c. 1170), Lord of Sidon, Kingdom of Jerusalem * Gerard I, Count of Guelders (c. 1060–1120) * Gerard II, Count of Guelders (died 1131) * Gerard, Count of Loon (died 1191) * Gerard, Count of Rieneck (died 1216), son of Gerard, Count of Loon * Gerard III, Count of Guelders (1185–1229) * Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (died 1340)

Military

* Gerard Bucknall (1894–1980), British army general * Gerard Pietersz Hulft (1621–1656), Dutch general *

Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Background He was ...

(1744–1808), British general *

Gerard de Ridefort Gérard de Ridefort, also called Gerard de Ridefort (died 4 October 1189), was Grand Master of the Knights Templar from the end of 1184 and until his death in 1189. Early life Gerard de Ridefort is thought probably to have been of Flemish ori ...

(died 1189), Flemish Grand Master of the Knights Templar

Politics

* Gerard Adams (born 1948), Irish politician, leader of the Sinn Feín party * Gerard Batliner (1928–2008), Prime Minister of Liechtenstein * Gerard Batten (born 1954), English UKIP politician *

Gerard Anthony Brownlee Gerard Anthony Brownlee (born 4 February 1956) is a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1996, was Leader of the House, Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery and Minister of F ...

(born 1956), New Zealand government minister *

Gerard Collier, 5th Baron Monkswell Gerard Collier, 5th Baron Monkswell (28 January 1947 – 12 July 2020) was a British hereditary peer. Life He was educated at Portsmouth University (BSc Mechanical Eng, 1971) and Thames Valley University. He succeeded to the title Baron Mon ...

(1947–2020), British politician * Gerard Cooreman (1852–1926), Belgian Prime Minister *

Gerard Wijeyekoon Sir Gerard Wijeyekoon (5 May 1878 – 21 September 1952) was a Ceylonese lawyer and a politician. He was the first President of the Senate of Ceylon. Born Abraham Charles Gerard Wijeyekoon, he was educated at Wesley College, Colombo and Royal ...

(1878-1952), Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician, first President of the Senate of Ceylon

Religion

* Gerard, Abbot of Brogne (c. 895–959), Belgian abbot and saint * Gerard of Toul (935–994), German bishop and saint * Gerard of Csanád (died 1046), Hungarian bishop and saint, a.k.a. ''Gerard Sagredo'' * Gerard of Florennes (c. 975–1051), Bishop of Cambrai * Gerard of Burgundy (died 1061), known as Pope Nicholas II * Gerard (archbishop of York) (died 1108), English archbishop * Blessed Gerard (c. 1040–1120), Benedictine founder of the Knights Hospitaller * Gerard Segarelli (c. 1240–1309), Italian founder of the Apostolic Brethern * Gérard de Dainville (died 1378), Bishop of Cambrai * Gerard Groote (1340–1384), Dutch founder of the Brethren of the Common Life *

Gerard van Groesbeeck Gerard van Groesbeeck (1517–1580) was a prelate who became the 88th Bishop of Liège, as well as Prince-Abbot of Stavelot and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. Early life Gerard van Groesbeeck was born at Kuringen Castle outside Hasselt in ...

(1517–1580), Flemish bishop and cardinal * Gerard Majella (1726–1755), Italian lay brother and saint * Gerard de Korte (born 1955), Dutch Roman Catholic bishop

Sports

* Gerard Cieślik (1927–2013), Polish football striker * Gerard Deulofeu (born 1994), Spanish football forward * Gerard Kemkers (born 1967), Dutch speed skater and skating coach * Gerard Friedrich Knetemann (1951–2004), Dutch racing cyclist * Gerard López (born 1979), Spanish football midfielder * Gerard Moreno (born 1992), Spanish football striker * Gerard Nijboer (born 1955), Dutch long–distance runner * Gerard Piqué (born 1987), Spanish football defender * Gerard Plessers (born 1959), Belgian football defender * Gerard de Rooy (born 1980), Dutch truck racer *

Gerard van Velde Gerard Pieter Hendrik van Velde (born 30 November 1971) is a Dutch retired speed skater who specialised in sprinting. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2002. Biography Van Velde was considered the best Dutch sprinter during the early 1990s, but d ...

(born 1971), Dutch speed skater and skating coach

Last name

* Alexander Gerard (1728–1795), Scottish church minister and academic *

Alexander Gerard (explorer) Alexander Gerard (17 February 1792 – 15 December 1839) was a Scottish army officer in India, and an early surveyor and explorer of the Himalayas. Early life He was born in Aberdeen on 17 February 1792. His father was Gilbert Gerard, a theologic ...

(1792–1839), Scottish army officer and Himalayan explorer *

A. E. Gerard Alfred Edward Gerard (11 August 1877 – 13 October 1950), generally known as "A. E. Gerard", was a South Australian electrician and businessman who founded the Adelaide companies of Gerard & Goodman and Clipsal. History William Gerard (c. 1843 ...

(1877–1950), Alfred Edward Gerard, founder of several South Australian electrical businesses * Alphonso Gerard (1916–2002), Negro league baseball player *

Darren Gerard Darren Charles Gerard (born 17 April 1984) is a cricketer who represented Oxford University Cricket Club, Oxford University in matches against Cambridge University Cricket Club, Cambridge University in 2004 and 2006. Early and personal li ...

(born 1984), English cricketer *

Dorothea Gerard Dorothea Mary Stanislaus Gerard (Mme Longard de Longgarde, 9 August 1855 – 29 September 1915) was a Scottish-born novelist and romance-writer who often wrote about controversial and unconventional subjects and "whose general conservatism co-e ...

(1855-1915), Scottish novelist * Eddie Gerard (1890–1937), Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach * Emily Gerard (1849–1905), Scottish author * Étienne Maurice Gérard (1773–1852), French general and politician * Geoff Gerard (born 1955), Australian rugby league player * Geoff Gerard (politician) (1904–1997), New Zealand politician * Gil Gerard (born 1943), American actor * Sir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Harrow on the Hill (1587–1670), English politician * Gilbert Gerard (judge) (died 1593), English lawyer and judge *

Gilbert Gerard (theological writer) Gilbert Gerard (1760–1815) was a Scottish theological writer. The son of Alexander Gerard (1728–1795), he became the minister of the Scots Church, Amsterdam. He was professor of Greek at King's College, Aberdeen, 1791, and of divinity, 1795 ...

(1760–1815), Scottish writer * Jack N. Gerard (born 1957), leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints * Jacques Gérard, French World War I flying ace *

James W. Gerard James Watson Gerard III (August 25, 1867 – September 6, 1951) was a United States lawyer, diplomat, and justice of the New York Supreme Court. Early life Gerard was born in Geneseo, New York. His father, James Watson Gerard Jr., was a lawy ...

(1867–1951), American lawyer and diplomat *

Jim Gerard Richard James Gerard (born 20 October 1936) is a former New Zealand politician. He was a National Party Member of Parliament from 1984 to 1997. Early life Gerard was born on 20 October 1936 in Canterbury. His father was the National MP Geoff G ...

(born 1936), New Zealand politician * John Gerard (1545–1612), English botanist * John Gerard (Jesuit) (died 1637) * Leo Gerard (born 1947), Canadian labour union leader *

Ralph W. Gerard Ralph Waldo Gerard (7 October 1900 – 17 February 1974) was an American neurophysiologist and behavioral scientist known for his wide-ranging work on the nervous system, nerve metabolism, psychopharmacology, and biological basis of schizophrenia. ...

(1900–1974), American neurophysiologist * Red Gerard (born 2000), American snowboarder * Richard Gerard of Hilderstone (1635–1680), English landowner *

Robert Gerard Robert Geoffrey Gerard AO (born 3 January 1945) is a businessman, was Chairman of the Gerard Family's company Gerard Industries Pty Ltd, a former member of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and ran for the leadership of the Liberal party in 1987. ...

(born 1944) South Australian electrical merchant and manufacturer *

Sumner Gerard Sumner Gerard Jr. (July 15, 1916 – February 24, 2005) was an American businessman, politician, and diplomat. Born in New York to a prominent family, Gerard attended Groton School and Trinity College, Cambridge. After serving in the army, navy ...

(1916–2005), American businessman, Montana politician, and US Ambassador to Jamaica

Fictional characters

*Prince Gerard Himerce, the main hero of Gaiapolis * Brigadier Gerard in the novel ''Uncle Bernac'' and the short story anthologies ''The Adventures of Gerard'' and "The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard'', by

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

* Joe Gerard, husband of the title character in the 1970s television series ''Rhoda'' *Philip Gerard, pursuer of the title character in the television series '' The Fugitive'' *Samuel Gerard, in the films '' The Fugitive'' and '' U.S. Marshals'' *

Gerard DuGalle Major and recurring characters from the military science fiction series ''StarCraft'' are listed below, organised by respective species and most commonly affiliated faction within the fictional universe. The story of the ''StarCraft'' series revolv ...

, in the video game ''StarCraft: Brood War'' * Gerard Duval, in the 1929 novel ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' by Erich Maria Remarque *Gérard, in the '' Chronicles of Amber'' novel series by Roger Zelazny *Gerard Argent, a werewolf

hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

and antagonist in

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's cult television show '' Teen Wolf''. *Marcel Gerard, a vampire and ruler of the New Orleans supernatural community in The CW network's television series '' The Originals''. * Gerard Valkyrie is a Quincy and a member of the Wandenreich's Sternritter with the designation "M" - The Miracle from the

Bleach manga ''Bleach'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. It follows the adventures of a teenager Ichigo Kurosaki, who inherits his parents' destiny after he obtains the powers of a Soul Reaper— ...

References

{{given name English-language surnames Patronymic surnames Dutch masculine given names English masculine given names Polish masculine given names