Gerhard

Gerhard is a Germanic given name composed of the elements ger, meaning spear, and hard, meaning brave, hardy, or strong, yielding the sense of one who is brave with the spear. It has been borne throughout medieval and early modern Europe by rulers, saints, and scholars, reflecting its enduring popularity in German-speaking and Scandinavian lands. The name is cognate with Gerard, Gerardo, and Geert, all of which descend from the same Old High German root, and the anglicised form Gerald shares the first element though combines it with a different second component.