Jerry

Did you know?

A few things about Jerry you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Jerry

Jerry Lewis

American comedian, actor and film director (1926–2017)

Choose Jerry and your child shares a first name with Jerry Lewis, an American comedian, actor and film director. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Jerry, like who?” Jerry Lewis's Wikipedia article is available in 86 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Jerry Lewis on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: According to Bonhams, the reverse side was stamped with "Paramount Photo by Bud Fraker". According to mptvimages.com, Fr, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 6,519 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Jerry, 262 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Jerry would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryJerry has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Jerrys, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1941, when it ranked #14. Today it's #906, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowJerry was 4.2× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,570 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 6,519.
• 🍂TrendJerry has slipped 305 places over the last five years and now sits at #906. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedJerry is most popular in Arkansas, where it ranks #489, followed by Indiana (#545) and Oklahoma (#552). It's in the top 1,000 in 18 states.
• 💬MeaningJerry is an English form of Gerald, which means “spear rule”.

About the name Jerry

Jerry is a boy name of American origin meaning “spear rule”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with J and ending in “-rry”. US birth records list Jerry for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked #14 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #906, with 262 babies.

Origin:American names