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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Gerald m. Old High German, Old Saxon gēr 'spear' + Old High German walt 'power'.

The name of an 8th C Anglo-Saxon saint, a 9th C French saint, 10th C German saint, and a 12th C French saint.

Often confused with Gerard and Garet; some forms of this name are indistinguishable from later forms of Gerbald.

England
Latin
1185x1186 Geroldi (gen) PR-XXXVI p. 13; 1189 Garwoldi (gen) GASurv p. 115, Gerold (nom) ibid. p. 78
France
Latin
c823 Giroldus (nom) irminon-vol2 4, CE; 862x876 Giraldi (gen) InsMacon X; 937x993 Geraldi (gen) CartSavII 1; 957x91 Gairoldo (abl) St-Bernard-Romans no. 81; 994 Giroldi (gen) CartSavII 7; c996 Girolt (nom) ibid. 6; c1010 Geraldi (gen) ibid. 5, Geraldus (nom) ibid. 5; 1030 Geraldus (nom) StVdM-II 678; 1044 Geraldus (nom) ibid. 659; 1047 Geraldus (nom) CartNDSaintes II; 1047x1061 Giraldus (nom) ibid. XX; 1050 Geraldi (gen) St-Bernard-Romans no. 100, Geraldo (abl) ibid. no. 100; c1050 Giraldus (nom) StVdM-II 695; 1055 Geraldus (nom) ibid. 680; 1059 Geraldus (nom) ibid. 689, Giraldus (nom) ibid. 687; 1060 Giraldus (nom) ibid. 730; 1060x1064 Geraldus (nom) ibid. 660; 1067x1086 Geraldus (nom) CartNDSaintes XIV; 1075 Geraldi (gen) StVdM-II 731; 1079x1101 Giroldi (gen) CartStPC IX, Giroldus (nom) ibid. IX; 1101x1129 Giraldus (nom) ibid. XXXVI; 1115 Geraldi (gen) StVdM-II 734; 1121 Geraldus (nom) CartNDJosaphat X; 1129 Geraldi (gen) StVdM-II 735, Geraudi (gen) ibid. 735; 1143x1146 Giraldus (nom) clairvaux-12thc 12; 1171 Geraldus (nom) ibid. 144; 1173 Geraldo (abl) ibid. 152; 1174 Geraldi (gen) ibid. 158; 1179 Giroldi (gen) ibid. 177, Giroldus (nom) ibid. 174; 1180 Geroldi (gen) RotScaNor p. 15; 1259 Giraudum (acc) ArrestReg-volI XXI, Pentecost; 1273 Geraldus (nom) RegToul-13thC p. 23; 1283–86 Geraldi (gen) GasReg-A p. 227; 1287 Geraldus (nom) ibid. p. 74, Giraldus (nom) ibid. p. 74, Guiraldus (nom) ibid. p. 74; 1310/11 Geraldus (nom) ibid.; 1310 Geraldus (nom) ibid. p. 217; 1310–11 Giraldus (nom) ibid. p. 236; 1378 Geraldi (gen) hanquetvol1 1700, Geraldo (dat) ibid. 108, Giraudi (gen) ibid. 1093
Old French
1313 Geroudet Paris1313 p. 46
Middle French
1368 Giraut beauchet-vol1 p. 14
Germany
Latin
822x875 Geroldo (abl) TradCorb §194, Geroldus (nom) ibid. §194
Ireland
Early Modern English
1528 Gerald Fiants-1 25; 1531 Gerald ibid. 30; 1534 Gerald ibid. 35; 1538 Gerald ibid. 66
Italy
Latin
1464 Giraldus (nom) CUP-III-I CCXXXI
Spain
Latin
1019 Geraldus (nom) CDCB-XV MMCLXXIV; 1190 Geralli (gen) ibid. MMCCVI
Switzerland
Latin
1141 Giroldus (nom) CartHaut 3; 1150 Giraldus (nom) ibid. 4; 1154 Giroldus (nom) ibid. 5; 1157 Giroldi (gen) ibid. 8, Giroldus (nom) ibid. 8; 1161 Geroldi (gen) ibid. 11, Giroldo (abl) ibid. 11; 1162 Giroldi (gen) ibid. 12; 1163 Giroldi (gen) ibid. 13, Giroldus (nom) ibid. 13; 1215 Giroldus (nom) ibid. 33; 1242 Giroudus (nom) ibid. 44
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Gerald". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2016/3/name/Gerald.