Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Gerardo

Gerardo is the Spanish and Italian equivalent of Gerard. Gerard in turn comes from an old Frankish personal name rooted in the Germanic language, derived from the components “gār, gēr” meaning ‘spear’, and “hard” meaning ‘brave, hardy’. The French Normans introduced the name to England in the Middle Ages where it would eventually become more popular than Gerald, a name of similar origins and history. Eventually, the name would spread down to Spain and Italy where the variation of Gerardo was developed. Gerard is no longer popular in English-speaking nations. Gerard/Gerardo owes much of its survival to the Roman Catholics given the numerous saints bearing this name. Interestingly, Gerard (without the “o” ending) is ranked high in Spain and Catalonia. Gerardo is the 58th most popular boy name in Mexico (2010).

All About the Baby Name – Gerardo

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME GERARDO

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME GERARDO

Gerardo first appeared on the U.S. popularity charts in 1945. The name climbed slowly up the charts in the latter half of the 20th century. Just as the Hispanic/Latino populations have seen substantial growth in the United States in the past several decades, so to have Spanish personal names. However, as we’ve entered this new century, and as second and third generation Mexican-Americans (and others of Hispanic and Latino descent) have assimilated into American society more wholly, we are seeing a decline in the usage of many Spanish-inspired names. Gerardo is another example of this. The name had dropped almost 150 spots on the charts in the past 20 years and is now given to only half as many little boys as it was at the turn of the 21st century. Gerardo is more of a name based in tradition so it may be becoming like its English counterpart (Gerard) – a little old-fashioned for today’s more modern tastes.

Quick Facts

ON GERARDO

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Italian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

393

PRONUNCIATION:

he-RAHR-do; je-RAHR-do

SIMPLE MEANING:

Brave spear; Courageous

Characteristics

OF GERARDO

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Gerardo

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME GERARDO

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Gerardo

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME GERARDO

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Gerardo


Popular Songs

ON GERARDO

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Gerardo


Famous People

NAMED GERARDO

Gerardo Torrado (Mexican soccer player)
Gerardo Diego Cendoya (Spanish poet)
Gerardo Greco (Italian journalist)
Gerardo Herrero (Spanish film director)
Gerardo Machado (former President of Cuba)
Gerardo Martino (Argentine soccer player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED GERARDO

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Gerardo

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME GERARDO

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Gerardo