Gertrude

I'm a young woman but I love my name, it's strong but also has the cute nicknames Trudy and Gertie. I know that it's not ''fashionable'' but I don't care. All those trendy names today (Harper, Jayden, Madison) will eventually fade away anyway and they will be the next 'mom' or 'dad' names just like trendy names of past generations such as Pamela, Jeff, Courtney and Heather.

To me Gertrude feels very old-fashioned and a lot of people don't seem to like it.
I quite like it and there should be a revival.

I would name a future SON Gertrude.

Sounds like a train to me.

My name is Gertrude, though I go by Gertie, and sadly, I can confirm that at the first years of knowing someone, people did come up with silly little nicknames at school. I personally was called Gertudy and Grandma, but the longer the person knows a Gertie, they tend to not see the difference in the name. My friends stick up for me when it comes to this. I do like my name, but it’s also hard when people pronounce it with a d like Gerdy rather then a t like Gertie. Overal, I think the name sounds sophisticated.
-someone who has this name

This is my name. As a younger person in society, nobody believes me when I say it and I frequently get asked to repeat my name. I go by Gertie at school, as I get picked on for having an old lady name. Whenever I watch cartoon shows the old grandmother is typically named Gertrude. I also find that the bad character or the hated on is named Gertrude or Gertie. I grew up where older people told me that my name is unique and they haven’t heard it before, but people my age say it’s a grandmother name, which is why I go by Gertie as my preferred name. Everybody either loves or hates it and I often refrain from telling people what my name is short for unless they ask. Whenever there’s a supply teacher and they read attendance, I’m always asked to pronounce my name and I’m often asked if it’s short for Gertrude. It hurts that to some people it’s unappealing, considering that we have no say in what our parents name us. Having a common name can make things harder as well. I also have to spell my name out when’re I go somewhere or meet someone because it’s always pronounced Gerdy by other people, and I have to say it like Ger T ie. I don’t think the name is embarrassing but I have found that when I meet a friend of a friends, they often tell me that I don’t look the way they thought I did and people tend to associate people with the name Gertrude as an ugly individual, whereas I don’t believe that your name says anything about your physical features.

Just the name 'Gertrude' screams to me: "I banged a member of the Gestapo". I'd still probably considering naming one of my future daughters that though.

While some view Gertrude as clunky and embarassing, I can't help but see and hear the beauty in this name. It's certainly a diamond in the rough.

I feel like most people that hear this name will either love it or hate it. I think it's very pretty, and Gertie is so cute!

I think this is a great name.

lol you went iiiiin

After seeing Gertrude Yorkes in the Marvel's Runaways TV series, I actually quite like this name! She's a really smart, witty and confident feminist who's an amazing big sister - she just makes the name feel so much more fresh.

I think a lot of the hate this name gets is due to being "hillbillied" for lack of a better term. I heard it recently on a German miniseries (mostly in English) and I couldn't quite grasp the name. I made my husband put the subtitles on and was surprised it was in fact Gertrude. It sounded very feminine and airy. Almost French. Not at all like gerr-trude. I asked my German aunt how to pronounce it. I can't quite mimick it the way she says it but it's something closer to gair-tu-deh. and she agreed it's such a beautiful name that gets a bad rap here in the states. In Germany it's just apparently seen as old lady but one of its diminutives Greta is still popular.

I love the name Gertrude and all of its diminutives. It has a strong, distinctive sound, long history of use, and fantastic meaning. I would love to hear it on a modern girl.

This is really growing on me! I just keep coming back to this name. I just love the strong sound.

Yes, it truly is!

I like this name a lot...so refreshing after all those frilly names.

I can't stand this name, or Gertie. Trudie is cute, but that doesn't need to be a nickname for anything. I used to call really horrible characters in my stories Gertrude or Gertie, when I was a kid, so guess I've always hated it.

This is my grandmother's name, and if we have another daughter, I think it will be her middle name. If she doesn't like it, she doesn't have to tell anyone what it is!

I think Gertrude is a beautiful name. Don't let the critics get you down.

I completely agree. I love the name Gertrude and am really considering it with Minerva and Margaret at the top of the list for Hermione Penelope's sister. Relatives will just get over it. :)

All you people going on about how unappealing it is, just makes me even happier we chose it for our daughter, as she'll have it to herself and not be confused with all your generic little Sophias, Emmas, Addisons, Madisons and Mackenzies :-D

I was almost named this and nicknamed "Trudy". I have to say I'm glad I wasn't. As a baby I'm sure it would've been adorable but I'm sure I would have hated it in my teens. I've said this before and I'll continue to say it, if I was named gertrude I'd just make people call me "G".

Eeesh. I'm sorry but I really hope this name does not make a comeback any time soon - or ever.

I don't like it. But I also have a similar reaction to Matilda so in my case, it might just be the hard T sound that I don't like. Either way, I predict a revival. If not Gertrude itself, at least Trudy.

This was my great grandmothers name. I love it! It's strong, and has so many possibilities with nick names. If my husband would agree to it I would name our future daughter Gertrude, rather than have it just be her middle name.

I agree. Neither GERT nor RUDE have any pleasant associations for me

Like it! I think it's great and hope it gets a revival soon.

Every time I have put forth the notion that I might name a future daughter “Gertrude”, my friends and close family members never fail to burst into giggles and outright laughter; as if I’ve just told the world’s most amusing joke. And if it's not amusement the name is met with, then it's sombre disapproval, such as just recently when a friend turned and said to me: "You know she'll be torn apart at school with a name like that, don't you?"

In all honesty, that’s not the type of reaction you want when you share your (future) child’s name. But, while it was once quite disheartening (and still sort of is), I'm not as bothered by it now. Why?

Because just a few years ago, you'll find that people had the same reaction to Pearl. Not only that but, it's only just now that people have come around to the cute qualities of Norah and Olive, as originally they had been criticised for being far too dusty and prudish for a baby. And God help you if you asked about a name like Millicent or Harriet online - you'd practically be skinned alive for daring to consider saddling your darling daughter with a name that was 'better left to the retirement home'.

My point is that some of the trendiest, most beloved classical names of today were once the most reviled and unpopular, simply because people believed they weren't "young" enough. But what was once old is now new and, in light of the vintage name revival trend, I see no reason as to why Gertrude would be considered out of bounds or inappropriate. Some people may not like its sound components but, that comes down to personal taste and, in terms of overall appeal, I feel that my #1 Gertrude is no different to everyone else's #1 Mabel, Florence or Edith.

This is my mom's name though most people don't know it since her entire life she has gone by Trudy......my dad calls her Gert to make her mad, but I could totally see Trudy as a super cute little girl

I met a Gertrude the other day who went by Tru. She was named after her great-grandmothers Trudy and Gert (just Gert not Gertrude).

I predict a major Gertrude revival. There seems to me a power in such female names, such non-Brandy, Taffy, Bunny-type names. Go Gertrude, Bertha, Martha, Doris, and Enid!

I really want to like this - it would be a great way to honor my great grandmother, and the nn Gertie is really cute, but I can't get over how clunky it sounds.

I can see this on a beautiful young woman, but she is wearing a floral dress and drinking tea in a garden, not hanging around on street corners. So basically, it is not the most modern name.

I like Gertrude but I think it's one of those names that will probably always be "ugly." Just the other day I was watching this TV show on like Disney or something and one of the characters' middle name was Gertrude, and she said she wished she could change it.

it's very....ugly.

I'd rather have a Bloodrayne than a Gertrude, to be honest. This is SO unappealing to me.

Absolutely adore this name! It's strong, elegant, charismatic and - at the moment - legitimately unique! Would definitely consider using it for a future daughter!

A likable name, but not usable with all the stereotypes. :)

I love this name incredibly much.