Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1917

Gertrude

Meaning spear Gender Girl Rank 2025 #6,632

From Old French [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz (“spear”) + *þrūþiz (“strength”) or *trut- (“maiden, dear”) ; name of a Belgian seventh century saint.

Rank 2025
#6,632
among girls · ↓1,932 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
17
named Gertrude · -41% vs 2024
How common
1 in 94,545
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1917
6,315 babies
All-time total
177,668
#227 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Gertrude popularity over time

177,668 babies have been named Gertrude since 1880, 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
2.557.51018801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 11,100 32 11,132 1,113 – #24
1890s 19,898 82 19,980 1,998 +79% #23
1900s 23,607 76 23,683 2,368 +19% #22
1910s 49,565 135 49,700 4,970 +110% #26
1920s 42,459 130 42,589 4,259 -14% #42
1930s 16,137 101 16,238 1,624 -62% #96
1940s 7,936 12 7,948 795 -51% #186
1950s 3,936 – 3,936 394 -50% #314
1960s 1,250 – 1,250 125 -68% #702
1970s 380 – 380 38 -70% #1,636
1980s 188 – 188 19 -51% #3,086
1990s 102 – 102 10 -46% #6,164
2000s 135 – 135 14 +32% #6,298
2010s 236 – 236 24 +75% #4,117
2020s (to 2025) 171 – 171 29 +21% #4,293

The story of Gertrude

Gertrude is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,632 in 2025 with 17 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 177,668 American babies have been named Gertrude. Its peak came in 1917, when 6,315 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 Gertrude stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gertrude?

The median living Gertrude is about 81 years old; half are between 72 and 89. An estimated 16 thousand people named Gertrude are alive in the United States today.

median 81 020406080100

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

Gertrude year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 17 #6,632 – –
2024 29 #4,700 – –
2023 31 #4,495 – –
2022 32 #4,407 – –
2021 30 #4,545 – –
2020 32 #4,293 – –
2019 34 #4,198 – –
2018 25 #5,216 – –
2017 26 #5,098 – –
2016 36 #4,117 – –
2015 26 #5,186 – –
2014 20 #6,284 – –
2013 18 #6,836 – –
2012 17 #7,244 – –
2011 17 #7,225 – –
2010 17 #7,312 – –
2009 8 #12,849 – –
2008 16 #7,867 – –
2007 18 #7,186 – –
2006 15 #8,000 – –
2005 14 #8,040 – –
2004 17 #6,889 – –
2003 9 #10,731 – –
2002 11 #9,056 – –
2001 10 #9,625 – –
2000 17 #6,298 – –
1995 9 #9,019 – –
1990 9 #8,723 – –
1985 14 #5,155 – –
1980 28 #3,086 – –
1975 43 #2,032 – –
1970 54 #1,711 – –
1965 112 #975 – –
1960 211 #702 – –
1955 371 #472 – –
1950 613 #314 – –
1945 664 #262 – –
1940 1,014 #186 – –
1935 1,425 #145 14 #1,971
1930 2,555 #96 13 #2,224
1925 3,892 #70 11 #2,650
1920 5,797 #42 17 #1,990
1915 6,077 #35 15 #1,911
1910 2,932 #26 8 #1,248
1905 2,276 #27 10 #810
1900 2,580 #23 8 #996
1895 2,129 #24 12 #619
1890 1,713 #26 9 #692
1885 1,086 #29 8 #729
1880 787 #25 – –

Famous people named Gertrude

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

  1. 1 Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein American author (1874–1946) 19th century
  2. 2 Gertrude Ederle Gertrude Ederle American swimmer (1905–2003) Contemporary
  3. 3 Gertrude Bell Gertrude Bell English traveller and writer 1868–1926 · 19th century
  4. 4 Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney American sculptor, art patron and collector (1875–1942) 19th century
  5. 5 Gertrude of Nivelles Gertrude of Nivelles Benedictine abbess and saint (c. 626–659) Medieval
  6. 6 Gertrude the Great Gertrude the Great German Benedictine nun and Catholic Saint 1256–1302 · Medieval
  7. 7 Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence English performing artist (1898–1952) 19th century
  8. 8 Gertrude Jekyll Gertrude Jekyll British garden designer and writer 1843–1932 · 19th century
  9. 9 Gertrude B. Elion Gertrude B. Elion American biochemist and pharmacologist (1918–1999) Contemporary
  10. 10 Gertrude Berg Gertrude Berg American actress, screenwriter and producer (1899–1966) 19th century
  11. 11 Gertrude Atherton Gertrude Atherton American author (1857–1948) 19th century
  12. 12 Gertrude Käsebier Gertrude Käsebier American photographer (1852–1934) 19th century
  13. 13 Gertrude of Merania Gertrude of Merania Queen consort of Hungary 1185–1213 · Medieval
  14. 14 Gertrude of Saxony Gertrude of Saxony Countess of Holland and Countess of Flanders (1030–1113) Medieval
  15. 15 Gertrude of Süpplingenburg Gertrude of Süpplingenburg 12th-century German duchess 1115–1143 · Medieval
  16. 16 Gertrude of Bavaria Gertrude of Bavaria Queen of Denmark from 1182 to 1197 1152–1197 · Medieval
  17. 17 Gertrude Mary Cox Gertrude Mary Cox American statistician (1900–1978) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Gertrude?

The median living Gertrude is about 81 years old. Half of all living Gertrudes are between 72 and 89 years old.

How many people named Gertrude are alive today?

An estimated 16 thousand people named Gertrude are alive in the United States, based on 177,668 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gertrude mean?

From Old French [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz (“spear”) + *þrūþiz (“strength”) or *trut- (“maiden, dear”) ; name of a Belgian seventh century saint.

How popular is the name Gertrude in 2025?

Gertrude ranked #6,632 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 17 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gertrude?

177,668 babies have been named Gertrude in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gertrude most popular?

Gertrude peaked in 1917, when 6,315 newborns received the name.

Is Gertrude a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Gertrude rising or falling?

Gertrude is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Gertrude?

Well-known people named Gertrude include Gertrude Stein (writer), Gertrude Ederle (swimmer), Gertrude Bell (military personnel).

Names like Gertrude

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

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