Gertrude
German
"strength of a spear"Gertrude Origin and Meaning
The name Gertrude is a girl's name of German origin meaning "strength of a spear".
Could cute nickname Gertie, remembered as cute five-year-old Drew Barrymore in E.T., revive the long shunned Gertrude?
It's tempting to dismiss Gertrude as a name on its way through the door marked Out Forever, except that its long and honorable pedigree--as a goddess in Norse mythology, as the gentle and mystical Saint Gertrude the Great, and another St. Gertrude who is the patron of cats, and its use by Shakespeare for Hamlet's (not exactly exemplary) mother--earns it a place on the permanent roster. It has also been borne by such varied figures as writer Gertrude Stein, swimming champ Gertrude Ederle, British stage star Gertrude Lawrence, and arts patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.
The pinnacle of fashion a century ago, Gertrude reached as high as Number 23 in 1900, but dropped off the list completely in 1966.
It's tempting to dismiss Gertrude as a name on its way through the door marked Out Forever, except that its long and honorable pedigree--as a goddess in Norse mythology, as the gentle and mystical Saint Gertrude the Great, and another St. Gertrude who is the patron of cats, and its use by Shakespeare for Hamlet's (not exactly exemplary) mother--earns it a place on the permanent roster. It has also been borne by such varied figures as writer Gertrude Stein, swimming champ Gertrude Ederle, British stage star Gertrude Lawrence, and arts patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.
The pinnacle of fashion a century ago, Gertrude reached as high as Number 23 in 1900, but dropped off the list completely in 1966.
Gertrude Popularity
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20 Names Similar to Gertrude
These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Gertrude.
- Mildred
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- Agatha
- Bernadette
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- Gail
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Famous People Named Gertrude
- Saint Gertrude the GreatGerman Benedictine mystic and theologian
- Saint Gertrude of NivellesBelgian abbess
- Gertrude of HohenburgQueen consort of Rudolph I of Germany
- Gertrude of MeraniaQueen consort of Andrew II of Hungary
- Gertrude of Bavaria and SaxonyQueen consort of Canute VI of Denmark
- Gertrude SteinAmerican novelist
- Gertrude Chandler WarnerAmerican children's novelist
- Gertrude Franklin Horn AthertonAmerican novelist
- Gertrude JekyllEnglish garden designer
- Gertrude BambrickAmerican silent film actress
- Gertrude Berg (born Tillie Edelstein)American actress
- Gertrude Belle ElionAmerican biochemist and Nobel Prize winner
- Gertrude Lawrence (born Gertrude Alice Dagmar Klasen)English actress and singer
- Gertrude Mabel Barrows BennettAmerican novelist
- Gertrude Margaret Lowthian BellEnglish writer and spy
- Gertrude Caroline EderleAmerican Olympic swimmer
- Gertrude Vanderbilt WhitneyAmerican sculptor and art patron
- Gertrude Modora BryanAmerican actress
- Gertrude AstorAmerican actress
- Gertrude AbercrombieAmerican painter
Gertrude in Pop Culture
- GertrudeHamlet's mother in Shakespeare's "Hamlet"
- Gertrude "Gigi" Hollingsworthcharacter in TV's "Wizards of Waverly Place"
- Gertrude Lescotcharacter in "Sims" series
- "Gertrude McFuzz" Dr. Seuss book
- Gertrude "Gert" Yorkes aka Arseniccharacter in Marvel's Runaway comics
- Gertrude Von Harpcharacter in G. A. Henty's, By Pike and Dyke
- Candace Gertrude Flynncharacter in "Phineas and Ferb"
- Gertrude "Mama Gertrude" AcachallaA character from the YouTube channel VenturianTale
- Gertrude Trinkecharacter in the film Jersey Girl
- Gertrude "Trudy" HardyFenton Hardy's sister and The Hardy Boys' aunt from "The Hardy Boys" series
- Gertrude Robinsonex,archivist on "The Magnus Archives"