Gerardo is the Spanish and Italian form of Gerard, a Germanic name that joins ger, "spear", with hard, "brave" or hardy, and so means "brave with the spear". It has been a steady favorite in Mexico and among Mexican-American families, while the English Gerard has nearly vanished. In the United States Gerardo was number 211 in 2000, 418 in 2015 and ranks 678 in 2025.