Jerol

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Jerol

Pronounced JEHR-uhl /ˈdʒɛrəl/Medium

Meaning: Jerol is a pared-down spelling of Jerrold, itself a form of Gerald, from the Old Germanic Gerwald: ger, 'spear,' plus wald, 'rule.' The meaning it carries is therefore 'spear-ruler,' inherited straight from Gerald.Low

In 30 seconds: Jerol is a trimmed spelling of Jerrold or Gerald, from the Germanic for 'spear-ruler.' An early-century rarity, it peaked around 1938 and is said JEHR-uhl.

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Origin LowGermanic, English

MeaningJerol is a pared-down spelling of Jerrold, itself a form of Gerald, from the Old Germanic Gerwald: ger, 'spear,' plus wald, 'rule.' The meaning it carries is therefore 'spear-ruler,' inherited straight from Gerald.

U.S. rank (1973)#5443 ↘ Falling

1973 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1938

Total births (all-time)≈ 130

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Jerol is a phonetic, stripped-back spelling of Jerrold, a variant of Gerald that descends from the Germanic Gerwald, combining ger, 'spear,' with wald, 'ruler.' Choosing Jerol kept the sound of the traditional name while giving it a shorter, more informal written form.

The spelling never gained real traction, surfacing chiefly in the 1930s and peaking around 1938 with only about twenty boys a year. A boy named Jerol then would be in his late eighties today, tying the name firmly to an early-twentieth-century cohort.

Did you know? Gerald and its short forms were far more common than this streamlined Jerol spelling, which pops up mostly in the 1930s as a plainer, phonetic take on the same name.

Overall data confidence 45%

References - Jerol — Variant of Jerrold/Gerald; Germanic Gerwald etymology

Variations

JerroldGeraldJerold

Nicknames

JerryJer

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If you like Jerol…

Jerrold— the fuller parent spelling

Gerald— the traditional source name

Gerard— a like Germanic ger- name

Jerald— a very close spelling cousin

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Jerol mean?

It is a simplified spelling of Jerrold or Gerald, from the Germanic Gerwald, meaning 'spear-ruler.'

How do you pronounce Jerol?

It is said JEHR-uhl /ˈdʒɛrəl/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Jerol a boy or girl name?

Jerol is used here as a boy's name.

How popular is Jerol?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the late nineteen-thirties.