Gerard is a Germanic name composed of ger, "spear", and hard, "brave" or "hardy", and so means "brave with the spear". St. Gerard Majella, the patron saint of expectant mothers, is remembered on October 16, and actor Gerard Butler keeps the name in the public eye. Gerard ranked number 824 in 2000, had slipped out of the US top 1000 by 2015, when it stood at number 1086, and ranks number 1713 in 2025.