Meanings
- A female given name from the Germanic languages.
O Gertrude, Gertrude! / When sorrows come, they come not single spies, / But in battalions.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]1 more example
"We two," she said, "will seek the groves / Where the lady Mary is, / With her five handmaidens, whose names / Are five sweet symphonies, / Cecily, Gertrude, Magdalen, / Margaret and Rosalys.
1850, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The Blessed Damozel, lines 103–108
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*gaizaz“spear”
- Old French[Term?]
- EnglishGertrude
From Old French [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz (“spear”) + *þrūþiz (“strength”) or *trut- (“maiden, dear”) ; name of a Belgian seventh century saint.
More words from Old French, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque Gertrudis, Gertrude
- Gertrudisfemale given name
- Gertrudefemale given name
Czech Gertruda
- Gertrudafemale given name
Danish Gertrud
- Gertrudfemale given name
Dutch Geertruida, Gertruida
- Geertruidafemale given name
- Gertruidafemale given name
- Gertrudefemale given name
Esperanto Gertrudo
- Gertrudofemale given name
Estonian Kertu
- Kertufemale given name
Finnish Kerttu
- Kerttufemale given name
French Gertrude
- Gertrudefemale given name
German Gertrud, Gertraud
- Gertrudfemale given name
- Gertraudfemale given name
- Gertrudefemale given name
Hungarian Gertrúd
- Gertrúdfemale given name
Icelandic Geirþrúður
- Geirþrúðurfemale given name
Italian Geltrude
- Geltrudefemale given name
Latvian Ģertrūde
- Ģertrūdefemale given name
Lithuanian Gertrūda
- Gertrūdafemale given name
Norwegian Gjertrud
- Gjertrudfemale given name
Polish Gertruda
- Gertrudafemale given name
Portuguese Gertrudes
- Gertrudesfemale given name
Russian Гертру́да
- Гертру́да (Gertrúda)female given name
Spanish Gertrudis
- Gertrudisfemale given name
Swedish Gertrud
- Gertrudfemale given name
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Gertrude. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gertrude
“Gertrude.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gertrude. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gertrude,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gertrude.
Source: Gertrude on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.