Editing Gerald (section)

{{Other uses|Gerald (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Given Name Revised
| name = Gerald
| image = 
| caption = 
| pronunciation= {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|ɛr|əl|d}} {{respell|JERR|əld}}
| gender = [[Male]]
| meaning ="rule of the spear", "bright spear"
| region =Germanic
| origin = 
| related names = [[Jerrold]], [[Geraldine (disambiguation)|Geraldine]], [[Jerald]], [[Gerard]], [[Jerry (given name)|Jerry]], [[Gerry]], [[Gerhard]], [[Geert]]
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Gerald''' is a masculine given name derived from the [[Germanic languages]]  prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule").<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hanks|first1= Patrick| last2=Hardcastle|first2=Kate |last3=Hodges| first3=Flavia| author-link= |date= 2006|title= Oxford Dictionary of First Names|url= |location= |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=109|isbn= 0-19-861060-2}}</ref> Gerald is a [[Norman French]] variant of the Germanic name. An [[Old English]] equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original name of [[Gerald of Mayo]], a British [[Roman Catholic]] monk who established a monastery in [[Mayo, Ireland ]] in 670. Nearly two centuries later, [[Gerald of Aurillac]], a French [[count]], took a vow of [[celibacy]] and later became known as the Roman Catholic  [[patron saint]] of [[bachelor]]s. The name was in regular use during the [[Middle Ages]] but declined after 1300 in England. It remained a common name in Ireland, where it was a common name among the powerful [[FitzGerald dynasty]]. The name was revived in the [[Anglosphere]] in the [[19th century]] by writers of historical novels along with other names that had been popular in the medieval era. British novelist [[Ann Hatton]] published a novel called ''Gerald Fitzgerald'' in 1831. Author Dorothea Grubb published her novel ''Gerald Fitzgerald'' in 1845, and Irish author [[Charles Lever]] published his novel, also entitled ''Gerald Fitzgerald'', in 1859. The name had strong associations with Ireland in English-speaking countries. In the United States, it increased in use for boys after 1910 and peaked in use in 1939, when it was the 19th most popular name given to American boys. Jerry is the usual short form of the name.<ref>{{cite web
 | url= https://omaha.com/life-entertainment/local/cleveland-evans-geralds-ancient-roots-combine-words-for-spear-and-power/article_6a7a0410-3f09-11ef-b450-cb1622acb506.html
 | title= Evans: Gerald's ancient roots combine words for 'spear' and 'power'
 | last= Evans
 | first= Cleveland Kent
 | date= 14 July 2024
 | website= omaha.com
 | publisher= Omaha World Herald
 | access-date= 1 December 2024
 | quote = }}</ref> Variants include the [[English language|English]] given name [[Jerrold]], the [[Female|feminine]] [[nickname]] [[Jeri]] and the [[Welsh language]] Gerallt and [[Irish language]] Gearalt. Gerald is less common as a [[surname]]. The name is also found in French as [[Gérald]]. [[Geraldine (name)|Geraldine]] is the feminine equivalent.<ref name=btn>{{cite web |url=http://www.behindthename.com/name/gerald |title=View Name: Gerald |publisher=behindthename.com |access-date=2007-12-30}}</ref>