Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1915

Gerda

Meaning protection Gender Girl Rank 2025 Below top lists

Latinate variant of Scandinavian Gerd, from Old Norse Gerðr, garðr (“protection”).

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Gerda
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1915
49 babies
All-time total
1,099
#7,028 all-time among girls
First recorded
1887
in Social Security records

Gerda popularity over time

1,099 babies have been named Gerda since 1887, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1899Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 20 2 – #1,065
1890s 92 9 +360% #891
1900s 91 9 -1% #978
1910s 260 26 +186% #949
1920s 218 22 -16% #1,485
1930s 205 21 -6% #1,284
1940s 75 8 -63% #2,472
1950s 80 8 +7% #3,122
1960s 51 5 -36% #4,097
1970s 7 1 -86% #6,782
1980s – – – –
1990s – – – –
2000s – – – –
2010s – – – –
2020s (to 2025) – – – –

The story of Gerda

Gerda is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1887, 1,099 American babies have been named Gerda. Its peak came in 1915, when 49 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gerda stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gerda?

The median living Gerda is about 75 years old; half are between 66 and 87. An estimated 200 people named Gerda are alive in the United States today.

median 75 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Gerda year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 – –
2024 – –
2023 – –
2022 – –
2021 – –
2020 – –
2019 – –
2018 – –
2017 – –
2016 – –
2015 – –
2014 – –
2013 – –
2012 – –
2011 – –
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 – –
2007 – –
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 5 #6,691
1955 8 #4,515
1950 12 #3,122
1945 11 #2,799
1940 12 #2,472
1935 32 #1,284
1930 31 #1,384
1925 24 #1,764
1920 30 #1,485
1915 49 #949
1910 18 #1,043
1905 9 #1,350
1900 7 #1,632
1895 12 #957
1890 10 #893
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Gerda

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Gerda Wegener Gerda Wegener Danish artist (1886–1940) 19th century
  2. 2 Gerda Steinhoff Gerda Steinhoff Nazi concentration camp guard (1922–1946) Contemporary
  3. 3 Gerda Christian Gerda Christian One of Adolf Hitler's secretaries 1913–1997 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Gerda Taro Gerda Taro German photographer (1910–1937) Contemporary
  5. 5 Gerda Lerner Gerda Lerner American historian and woman's history author (1920–2013) Contemporary
  6. 6 Gerda van der Kade-Koudijs Gerda van der Kade-Koudijs Dutch Olympic athlete (1923–2015) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Gerda, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Gerda?

The median living Gerda is about 75 years old. Half of all living Gerdas are between 66 and 87 years old.

How many people named Gerda are alive today?

An estimated 200 people named Gerda are alive in the United States, based on 1,099 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gerda mean?

Latinate variant of Scandinavian Gerd, from Old Norse Gerðr, garðr (“protection”).

How popular is the name Gerda in 2025?

Gerda did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Gerda?

1,099 babies have been named Gerda in the United States since 1887, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gerda most popular?

Gerda peaked in 1915, when 49 newborns received the name.

Is Gerda a boy or girl name?

Gerda is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Gerda rising or falling?

Gerda has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Gerda?

Well-known people named Gerda include Gerda Wegener (painter), Gerda Steinhoff (politician), Gerda Christian (social activist).

Names like Gerda

Names that sound and feel close to Gerda: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Gerda with similar names → More names starting with G →