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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
1189 Garwoldi (gen) GASurv p. 115, Gerold (nom) ibid. p. 78
France
Latin
862x876 Giraldi (gen) InsMacon X; 957x91 Gairoldo (abl) St-Bernard-Romans no. 81; 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; 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
Old French
1313 Geroudet Paris1313 p. 46
Germany
Latin
822x875 Geroldo (abl) TradCorb §194, Geroldus (nom) ibid. §194
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Gerald". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 2. http://dmnes.org/2015/2/name/Gerald.