Geraldine
/ˌdʒɛr.əlˈdiːn/noun
A female given name, originally the feminine form of Gerald.
Did you know?Geraldine ultimately comes from Germanic elements meaning “spear” and “rule,” the same naming logic that gave Europe many old warrior names dressed up as modern elegance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gairaz + *waldaną
“"spear" + "to rule"”
Old High German
OHG
Gerwald
“a personal name meaning "spear-ruler"”
Old French
OF
Geraud / Gérald
“a male given name borrowed from Germanic”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Geraldus
“Latinized form of the name”
Modern English
English
Geraldine
“the feminine form of Gerald”