Jerald

Jerald is an English given name functioning as an altered spelling of Gerald, which derives from the Old High German elements ger, meaning spear, and wald, meaning rule. The name entered English usage through Norman French following the Conquest of 1066, and Gerald itself was borne by the medieval Welsh-Norman writer Giraldus Cambrensis. Jerald arose as a spelling variant influenced by the similar name Jerrold, as well as by the popularity of Jerome and other given names beginning with Jer-. Related forms include Gerald, Jerrold, and Jarold.