Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Geraldine

Geraldine is the female form of Gerald. Gerald is an old Frankish personal name rooted in the Germanic elements “gēr” meaning “spear” and “wald” meaning “rule” (rule by the spear). The Norman-French introduced the name to England in the Middle Ages after the Norman Invasion of 1066. The Irish especially found a liking to the name (which is from where the Norman-Irish surname Fitzgerald developed). There were various medieval saints who bore the name Gerald, including the 9th century Gerald of Aurillac, a French nobleman who gave up his possessions in order to live his life in the name of Christ. Due to his childhood illnesses, his adult blindness and his apparent disfigurement from acne, St. Gerald of Aurillac became a patron saint to the disabled and handicapped. The French especially had a knack for naming their babies after notable saints in the Middle Ages and then popularizing these names in England after the Norman Conquest. Gerald was another one of these French names which gained circulation in England before falling from fashion in the later Middle Ages. The name saw a revival in the 19th century (thanks, in part, to the influence of the Irish who never lost interest in this name), and Geraldine came into use about the same time (the French Géraldine is pronounced jair-ull-DEEN). Gerry and Jerry are both considered gender-neutral pet forms of Gerald and Geraldine.

All About the Baby Name – Geraldine

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME GERALDINE

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME GERALDINE

Geraldine is a name with an interesting history of usage in the United States. It dates back to the late 19th century (which is as far back as we have available data). Geraldine entered the 20th century with moderate usage but was already showing signs of promise. The name would gain ground throughout the early 1900s before achieving a coveted spot on the Top 100 list in 1916. Geraldine would hold a place on the Top 100 for 34 consecutive years and reach her peak success at position #38 in 1931. The name dropped off the Top 100 list in 1950 and spent the following years dropping like a rock and then disappeared from the Top 1000 list completely in 1977. Geraldine’s cobwebs were brushed off briefly from 1988-1990 most likely influenced by feminist favorite Geraldine Ferarro who was thrust onto the national stage as the first female Vice Presidential hopeful in the 1984 election. The name quietly retreated to the shadows again for about 20 years and just re-emerged on the charts in 2010. This time, Geraldine’s revival is owed to a renewed interest in old-lady names (Ruby, Hazel, Harriet). Such names are sweetly old-fashioned yet strong and feisty. Grandmotherly? A bit. But downright charming. Not to mention that Geraldine “rules by the spear” so don’t mess with this little warrior.

Quick Facts

ON GERALDINE

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

992

PRONUNCIATION:

JER-əl-deen

SIMPLE MEANING:

Rule by the spear

Characteristics

OF GERALDINE

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Geraldine

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME GERALDINE

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

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME GERALDINE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Geraldine


Popular Songs

ON GERALDINE

Geraldine
a song by Ian Dury and the Blockheads

The Ballad of Geraldine
a song by Donovan

My Geraldine Lies over the Delaware
The Wonder Years

Geraldine & The Honey Bee
a song by Widespread Panic

Geraldine and John
a song on Joe Jackson

Famous People

NAMED GERALDINE

Geraldine Ferarro (politician)
Geraldine "Geri" Halliwell (aka Ginger Spice, pop-star)
Geraldine Chaplin (actress)
Geraldine Page (actress)
Geraldine Farrar (opera singer)
Geraldine Fitzgerald (actress)
Geraldine McEwan (actress)
Geraldine Somerville (Irish actress)
Géraldine Martineau (French actress)
Geraldine McCaughrean (British author)

Children of Famous People

NAMED GERALDINE

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME GERALDINE

Geraldine Ferraro is a woman who should be much more heralded than she is – as the first ever female vice-presidential major party nominee for that office in the United States, she blazed a trail that is still being foraged by women today, over thirty years later. Geraldine was born of Italian American parents in New York and was largely raised by her hard-working widowed mother. This gave her a lasting empathy for the poor, which permeated her politics. In a time when women were encouraged to get teaching or nursing degrees in case something “happened to their marriages”, Geraldine got not only a teaching degree, but a law degree, being one of two women in her law school class. When she married, Ms. Ferraro retained her maiden name for the most part, as she served in various public legal offices before going on to run for the House of Representatives. Brash and ambitious, Geraldine worked her way up in the men’s club and was thrilled to be on the Mondale ticket. The nomination was met with both enthusiasm and opposition, as Geraldine’s policies (particularly on the pro-choice issue) were attacked and her personal financial matters were investigated mercilessly. At the end of it all, she and Mondale were trounced in the 1984 election by President Ronald Reagan. Geraldine Ferraro continued to be active in politics and humanitarian works, but she was absolutely right when she declared that her path would have been a lot smoother if her name had been Gerald.