Geraldine

German and French, feminine variation of Gerald
"ruler with the spear"

Geraldine Origin and Meaning

The name Geraldine is a girl's name of German, French origin meaning "ruler with the spear".

Though twin brother Gerald is still in baby name limbo, Geraldine is in line to follow the path of Josephine to imminent revival—even though Gerry is not as spunky a nickname as Josie.

Geraldine was at its hottest from the 1910s through the forties, peaking at Number 38 in 1931. It was invented in the time of Henry VIII by a noble poet who fell in love with a Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald and, taking off from her surname, referred to her as the "Faire Geraldine."

Geraldine has the distinction of being the name of the first woman to be a major party vice presidential candidate, Geraldine Ferraro. Other notable bearers include actors Fitzgerald, Chaplin, and Page, and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

Trivia notes: Geraldine is the middle name of Ramona Quimby. And Geraldine was the name of the sassy female character played by Flip Wilson on his popular TV variety show.

# 992 in the US

Geraldine Rank in US Top 1000

# 1065 on Nameberry

Geraldine Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Geraldine Popularity

Famous People Named Geraldine

  • Géraldine Margit Virginia Olga Mária Apponyi de Nagy
    Appony, Queen consort of Zog of Albania
  • Geraldine Brooks
    Australian,American novelist
  • Geraldine Leigh Chaplin
    American,British actress, daughter of Charlie Chaplin
  • (Alice) Geraldine Farrar
    American operatic soprano and actress
  • Geraldine Anne Ferrarro
    first American woman vice presidential candidate
  • Geraldine Mary Fitzgerald
    Irish,American actress
  • Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell aka Ginger Spice
    singer of English group Spice Girls
  • Geraldine Hunt
    American R&B singer
  • Geraldine James
    English actress
  • Geraldine Jane Kemper
    Dutch actress
  • Geraldine McEwan
    English actress
  • Geraldine Sue Page
    American actress
  • Geraldine Pailhas
    French actress
  • Geraldine Brooks
    American actress
  • Geraldine Ann "Geri" Jewell
    American actress
  • (Annie) Geraldine Ulmar
    American singer and actress
  • Audre Geraldine Lorde
    Caribbean,American writer and activist
  • The Fair Geraldine aka Elizabeth FitzGerald
    Countess of Lincoln

Geraldine in Pop Culture

  • Geraldine McQueen
    fictional singer played by Peter Kay
  • Boadicea Geraldine "Gerry" Granger
    character on TV's "Vicar of Dibley"
  • Geraldine
    beloved of Jack Wilton in "The Unfortunate Traveller: or, the Life of Jack Wilton" (1594) by Thomas Nashe
  • Geraldine
    character in Coleridge's poem "Christabel" (1797,1801)
  • Ramona Geraldine Quimby
    character in novels by Beverly Clearly
  • Geraldine
    character in "Jemima J"
  • Geraldine
    samurai sword on TV's "Lost Girl"
  • Geraldine Raymond
    character in "Anne of Windy Poplars" by L.M. Montgomery
  • "Geraldine
    " song by Glasvegas
  • "Geraldine
    " an opera by Michael William Balfe
  • "Geraldine and John
    " song by Joe Jackson
  • Geraldine Waxelplax
    a character in the Nickelodeon cartoon "The Fairly OddParents"
  • Geraldine Grundy
    character from "Riverdale"
  • Helga Geraldine Pataki
    character on "Hey Arnold"