Boy · Germanic (via Norman French) · Christian
Gerard
GerardSay it JER-ard
- Meaning today
- Brave spear, strong spear
- Original meaning
- "brave with the spear; from ger 'spear' and hard 'hard, brave'" Bosworth-Toller, entries 13290 (gár) and 18470 (heard)
- Say it
- JER-ard
- Other spellings
- Gerrard, Gerhard, Gerardo
Gerard
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Gerard meaning
Gerard is a Christian boy's name of Germanic origin (via Norman French).
Brave with the spear; from ger 'spear' and hard 'hard, brave'
Also used to mean: brave spear, strong spear
Gerard is the Germanic name Gerhard, joining ger, 'spear', and hard, 'hard, strong, brave'; in Old English the same words are gár, a spear or javelin, and heard, which Bosworth-Toller glosses 'hard, firm, hardy, brave'. The Normans brought it to England, where it was often confused with Gerald. Catholics know it through St Gerard Majella (1726–1755), the Italian lay brother venerated as patron of expectant mothers. In India Gerard is used by Catholic families in Mangalore, Goa and Kerala.
Source: Bosworth-Toller, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898), entries 13290 (gár) and 18470 (heard) · entry gár; heard · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Bosworth-Toller, gár · Bosworth-Toller, heard · Wikipedia, Gerard · Wikipedia, Gerard Majella
Famous namesakes
- St Gerard Majella (1726–1755), patron of expectant mothers
Spellings
Gerard · Gerrard · Gerhard · Gerardo