Gerard

Gerard is a male forename of Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this case, those constituents are 'ger' (meaning 'spear') and 'hard' (meaning 'hard/strong/brave'). The meaning of the name is thus 'strong/brave with the spear'.

Common forms of the name are Gerard (English, Dutch and Catalan), Gerardo (Italian and Spanish), Gérard (French), Gearóid (Irish), Gerhard, Gerhardt and Gerhart (Afrikaans, Dutch, and German), Gellért (Hungarian). A few abbreviated forms are Gerry and Jerry (English); Gert and Gerd (Afrikaans, Dutch and German); Gerrit (Afrikaans and Dutch); Gertjie (Afrikaans), and Geert (Dutch).

The name Gerald is also related to Gerard, though it has a slightly different meaning.

Persons

Persons whose first name is 'Gerard'

Actors

• Gerard Butler, Scottish actor
• Gérard Depardieu, French actorAuthors and playwrights
• Gerhart Hauptmann (1882-1946), German dramatist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1912.Poets
• Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889) British Victorian poet and Jesuit priestChristian saints and figures
• Saint Gerard of Brogne
• Saint Gerard of Clairvaux
• Saint Gerard of Lunel
• Saint Gerard of Toul, bishop of Toul
• Saint Gerard Majella
• Saint Gerard Sagredo, bishop of Hungary
• Gerard de Bourgogne, Pope Nicholas II
• Gerard, Bishop of Hereford (1096–1100) and Archbishop of York (1100–1108)Musicians
• Gerard McMahon, English singer/songwriter
• Gerard Way, vocalist in My Chemical Romance
• Gerard Yra, vocalist in X-DivisionPoliticians
• Gerard (Gerry) Adams, Irish politician, president of Sinn Féin
• Gerard Kennedy, Canadian Liberal politician
• Gerhard Schröder, Chancellor of Germany 1998-2005Scholars
• Gerard of Cremona (1114–1187), Italian translator of scientific worksScientists
• Gerard O'Neill, physicistSportsmen
• Gerard Bosch van Drakestein (1887-1972), Dutch track cyclist
• Gérard Houllier, former manager of Liverpool F.C. & Olympique Lyonnais
• Gerard López Segú, Spanish/Catalan football (soccer) player
• Gerard Piqué, Catalan football (soccer) player
• Gerard van Velde, Dutch ice speed skater

Persons whose last name is 'Gerard'

• Étienne Maurice Gérard (1773–1852), marshal and later Prime Minister of France
• Geoff Gerard, Australian rugby league footballer
• John Gerard (1545–1612), English botanist
• Rosemonde Gérard (1871–1953), French poet and playwright

Persons whose assumed name is 'Gerard'

• Gerhard, Canadian comic book artist.

Fictional characters whose name is 'Gerard'

• Joe Gerard, character in the 1970's sitcom Rhoda.
• Lieutenant Philip Gerard, character in the TV series The Fugitive
• Marshal Samuel Gerard, character in the films The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals
• Gerard DuGalle, an admiral in Starcraft

Places

• Gerard (Aboriginal Council), a local government area of South Australia

Other

• Gerard, a Japanese progressive rock band.
• Gerrard
• Girard