Gertrude Name Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Gertrude

Gertrude is a feminine name with Germanic roots, meaning ‘spear of strength’ or ‘strength of spear.’ The name is derived from Old German elements ‘ger,’ meaning ‘spear’, and ‘drud,’ meaning ‘strength,’ and the Old High German term for the name is Geretrudis. A diminutive of the term is Trudy, which means ‘ruler of the spear’ or ‘wholly beloved.’ The name also has a related meaning of spear maiden, referring to beautiful maidens who served the hammer-wielding German god Thor in Old Norse mythology.

Saint Gertrude of Helfta, also known as Gertrude the Great, was one of the most significant mystics of the 13th century and is historically associated with the name. She practiced ‘nuptial mysticism’ with her teacher Mechtilde and viewed herself as the Bride of Christ.

The name has numerous variations across languages, with many indicating the strength of the spear or a warrior poised for battle. Some major variations include Geertruida, Gertie, Geertje, Gertruida, Trudie, and Truus in Dutch; Geltrude in Italian; Gertrūda in Lithuanian; Gertrudes in Portuguese; Gertrudis in Spanish; and Gertraud in German-speaking countries. Some short forms or nicknames for the name include Gertie, Trudi, Trudie, and Trudy.

In fiction, Gertrude appears prominently in Shakespeare’s Hamlet as the queen of Denmark and mother of Hamlet. Her character’s speech in the play reveals her to be direct and insightful. Other fictional occurrences in modern media include Gertrude “Gigi” Hollingsworth in the Wizards of Waverly Place series, Gertrude Lescot in the Sims series, and Gertrude “Trudy” Hardy, the sister of Fenton Hardy in the famous Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon, David L. Robbins, and Frank Dixon. In the famous Duck family of Disney cartoons, Gertrude Gadwall is married to Clinton Coot. German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse has written a novel titled ‘Gertrud’ which also has a strong influence of Nietzsche, like many of his other works. The novel is in the format of a memoir of a renowned composer called Kuhn.

Gertrude

Meaning The might of the spear.

Gender Girl

Religion Christianity

Origin English, German

Names starting with g.. ga.. gar.. Gar.. Ger.. Gje.. Gur..

How To Pronounce Gertrude?

English

German

Famous People With The Name Gertrude

Gertrude BambrickAmerican silent film actress known for films like Two Daughters of Eve
Gertrude BergAmerican actress and screenwriter known for her comedy-drama The Rise of the Goldbergs
Gertrude AstorAmerican motion picture character actress known for her work in a Biograph short
Gertrude AlderferAmerican athlete and the first basewoman and catcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Gertrude AbercrombieAmerican painter known for creating barren landscapes, self-portraits, and still-lifes
Gertrude Biggs ColburnAmerican dancer and sculptor known for her plaster cast of the hands of the American artist Adolfo Müller-Ury
Gertrude Barrows BennettAmerican fantasy and science fiction writer known for her books Claimed and The Citadel of Fear

Gertrude On The Popularity Chart

From the 1980s, the name’s popularity has been fluctuating but registering a slight increase in popularity. The graph shows that it reached a peak point in 2016 before declining again.