David vs Gerard
David and Gerardcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1966, David was ranked #1 and Gerard #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1965, David was ranked #1 and Gerard #96 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Gerard #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Gerard #1675 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Gerard #727 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Gerard #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Gerard over time
David and Gerard appear together in 5 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Gerard in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Gerard were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #45 and #348.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, Gerard #462 in 1997.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #7 and #10 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 3 places apart; by 2025 they were #45 and #348.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Gerard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Gerard #10 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Gerard #348.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Gerard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Gerard #462 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Gerard #1675.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Gerard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Gerard #57 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Gerard #305.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 1954–1965
David held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Gerard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, Gerard #84 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1965: David #1, Gerard #96.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 1956–1966
David held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Gerard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, Gerard #84 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: David #1, Gerard #84.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | David | Gerard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Combines Old German 'ger' (spear) with 'hart' (hard, firm, brave) — 'spear-brave'. Borne by saints from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Italy; brought to Britain by the Normans. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈd͡ʒɛɹ.əd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Gerard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- David and Gerard both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Gerard's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Gerard
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #87 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys