Sophia Girl
soh-FEE-uh
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#5
Gertrude
GirlGermanic, German· “spear strength”
- Meaning
- spear strength
- Origin
- Germanic, German
- Pronunciation
- GUR-trood
- Syllables
- 2
- US rank 2025
- #6,632
- US babies 2025
- 17
- Best rank
- #22 (1906)
- Peak year
- 1917
Meaning and origin of Gertrude
Gertrude is a Germanic and German name that means “spear strength”.
Gertrude is a Germanic name built from ger, spear, and thrud, strength, so spear strength. Saint Gertrude of Nivelles and Saint Gertrude the Great spread it across medieval Europe. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Gertrude is the queen, Hamlet's mother. The name was very common in the late nineteenth century and is known through the writer Gertrude Stein. It is said GUR-trood. Gertrude is a name some parents are rediscovering alongside Beatrice and Winifred. Gertie and Trudy are traditional short forms, and the German Gertrud is a close relative.
Popularity over time
Gertrude has been given to babies in the United States since at least 1880, the first year of Social Security records. It has ranked in the top 1,000 in 86 different years. Its best national rank was #22 in 1906, and the most babies received it in 1917, when 6,300 were named Gertrude. In 2025, 17 babies were named Gertrude, and it ranked #6,632 nationally. That is 35% fewer than ten years earlier, so it is becoming less common.
Its national rank moved from #42 in 1920, #314 in 1950, #3,086 in 1980, #6,298 in 2000, #7,312 in 2010, and #6,632 in 2025. Of the 177,100 US girls named Gertrude since records began, 28% were born in the 1910s, its biggest decade. The 1920s come next, with 42,459 babies. Since 2010, 407 more have been named Gertrude.
Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Esther, Clara, Pauline, Agnes, and Elsie.
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for girls.
Gertrude is usually pronounced GUR-trood, with two syllables. It has eight letters, starts with G and ends in “-de”.
Middle names for Gertrude
A few middle names that flow with Gertrude: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Gertrude
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Lists that include Gertrude
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Gertrude mean?
Gertrude is a Germanic and German name that means “spear strength”.
What is the origin of the name Gertrude?
Gertrude has Germanic and German roots. Gertrude is a Germanic name built from ger, spear, and thrud, strength, so spear strength.
Is Gertrude a popular name?
Not especially. Gertrude ranked #6,632 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Gertrude a boy or girl name?
Gertrude is mainly a girl's name. In the US it is used almost only for girls.
How do you pronounce Gertrude?
Gertrude is usually pronounced GUR-trood. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings