Geraldine

The first name Geraldine is the English feminine form of Gerald and made its way from the English-speaking world to Germany in the 20th century.

What does the name Geraldine mean?

Geraldine, a girl's name, is interpreted as "the spear ruler," "the one who wields the spear," or "the ruler with the spear." The origin of the name lies in Old High German and consists of the components ger, meaning "the spear," "the throwing spear," or "the trident," and waltan, meaning "to wield," "to govern," "to rule," or "the ruler." Originally, Geraldine was an adjective used for the old Irish surname Fitzgerald, which means "the son of Gerald." The French variant is Géraldine, while other forms such as Geralda, Geralde, Geraldina, and Geraldyn exist. A well-known bearer of this name is the American actress Geraldine Chaplin.

How do you pronounce Geraldine?

The pronunciation of Geraldine is four to three syllables, depending on the emphasis, often perceived as "Ge-ral-di-ne" [dʒɛʁalˈdiːnə] or [ɡeʁalˈdiːnə]. The gentle beginning culminates in an emphasized, elongated "-diːn" syllable that radiates elegance. The ending "-ine" gives the name a feminine, flowing sound. Geraldine appears cultivated and melodic, graceful and slightly aristocratic.

When is the name day of Geraldine?

The name day for Geraldine is celebrated on April 26.

Popularity

In Germany, Geraldine is a rather rare first name. In 2023, it ranked 5,633rd on the list of the most common female first names. The best ranking Geraldine achieved was in 1998 with 129th place. In the last ten years, the name has been given about 60 times, placing it 3,332nd in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 1,964th.

Nicknames & pet names

Aldi / Cherry / Dina / Dine / Dini / Dino / Diny / Ge / Gera / Geral / Gerdi / Gere / Geri / Gerri / Gerry / Gery / Gigi / Gina / Gini / Jerry / Sherry

Similar first names

Famous people

• Geraldine (place) (location on the South Island of New Zealand)
• Geraldine Apponyi (1915–2002), Albanian queen
• Geraldine Beamish (English tennis player)
• Geraldine Beigbeder (French writer)
• Geraldine Bey (American jazz musician)
• Geraldine Bonner (American writer)
• Geraldine Chaplin (daughter of Charlie Chaplin)
• Geraldine Danon (French actress)
• Geraldine Davies (British cricketer)
• Geraldine Estelle Halliwell (singer, former Spice Girl)
• Geraldine Farrar (1882–1967), American opera singer
• Geraldine Fenton (figure skater from Canada)
• Geraldine Ferraro (1935–2011), U.S. Congresswoman and first female vice-presidential candidate
• Geraldine Fitzgerald (actress from Great Britain)
• Géraldine Frey (Swiss athlete)
• Geraldine Gaulier (singer from Switzerland)
• Geraldine Haacke-Guillaume (German voice and audio drama actress)
• Geraldine Hughes (Irish actress)
• Geraldine Hunt (American R&B singer)
• Geraldine Husk (character from the animated series 'Totally Spies!')