NameRealm
Jerry

Jerry: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“spear ruler”
Origin
English
Say it
JAIR-ee · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys (97% of all uses)

Usually a diminutive of Gerald, Gerard, Jeremiah, or Jerome. As a given name it most often reflects Gerald/Gerard, both from Germanic elements associated with spear and rule or bravery.

English namesAmerican namesNames meaning strengthNames meaning warriorNames meaning nobleShort namesClassic names

How popular is Jerry?

202483.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Jerry in 2024277

2024 rank#865 boys

Peak year1941

Total US babies since 1880632,139

Jerry is fading: recent use is about 56% of its level ten years before.

Names like Jerry

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Geraldrule of the spear · Germanic
  • Geraldinerule of the spear · French
  • Gerryrule of the spear · Germanic
  • Jerrivariant of Jerry; spear ruler · English
  • Jerroldspear ruler · Germanic
  • Jerrieruler with the spear · English
  • JackGod is gracious · English
  • Hudsonson of Hudd · English

Jerry questions

What does the name Jerry mean?

Jerry means "spear ruler". It comes from English. Usually a diminutive of Gerald, Gerard, Jeremiah, or Jerome. As a given name it most often reflects Gerald/Gerard, both from Germanic elements associated with spear and rule or bravery.

Is Jerry a boy or girl name?

Jerry is mainly a boy's name in US records (97% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Jerry?

277 US babies were named Jerry in 2024. Its peak year was 1941.

How do you pronounce Jerry?

Jerry is usually pronounced JAIR-ee.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.