Gertrude
Germanic, combining ger, spear, with thrud, strength. A seventh-century abbess of Nivelles bore it and carried the name into wider Christian use across the Low Countries.
Gertrude in 2025
Gertrude was given to 17 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 11,511th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 195,020 babies born.
The history of Gertrude
Gertrude reached its highest point in 1917, when 6,315 babies were given the name, ranking 66th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 31st, in 1897.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 177,668 babies have been named Gertrude. Half of them were born before 1917, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Gertrude by decade
| Decade | Babies named Gertrude | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 11,132 | 43 |
| 1890s | 19,980 | 31 |
| 1900s | 23,683 | 32 |
| 1910s | 49,700 | 36 |
| 1920s | 42,589 | 78 |
| 1930s | 16,238 | 179 |
| 1940s | 7,948 | 348 |
| 1950s | 3,936 | 575 |
| 1960s | 1,250 | 1,217 |
| 1970s | 380 | 2,644 |
| 1980s | 188 | 4,866 |
| 1990s | 102 | 9,946 |
| 2000s | 135 | 10,334 |
| 2010s | 236 | 7,072 |
| 2020s | 171 | 7,461 |
Where Gertrude is heading
Gertrude has fallen 35% over the past decade, from 26 babies in 2015 to 17 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1917 peak — Gertrude is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Gertrude
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Gertrude.