Gertrude’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Gertrude
A simple, pretty journal made for one person: Gertrude. Her name is set in script above pink watercolor apple blossom on the cover.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Gertrude's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
What does the name Gertrude mean?
Gertrude means “spear of strength”. Behind the Name derives it from the Old German elements ger, “spear”, and drud, “strength”, and Wikipedia agrees. Behind the Name says Saint Gertrude the Great was a 13th-century nun and mystic writer from Thuringia, and that the name probably reached England with settlers from the Low Countries in the 15th century. Shakespeare used it for Hamlet’s mother in Hamlet (1600).
Gertrude nicknames and other forms
Behind the Name lists Gertie, Trudi, Trudie and Trudy as English diminutives, and Wikipedia notes that Trudy has become a name in its own right. The German family adds Gerti, Trude and Traudl, and Wikipedia mentions the rare English form Gartred. Gertie is cheerful; Trudy is breezy.
Some famous Gertrudes
Writer Gertrude Stein moved to Paris in 1903 and hosted a famous salon for Picasso, Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Matisse; her lines “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose” and “there is no there there” are still quoted. Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel, on August 6, 1926, in 14 hours and 45 minutes, beating the existing record. And Gertrude Bell was an English writer, archaeologist and explorer who mapped much of the Middle East.
Gertrude through the decades
Gertrude was a top-30 name at the turn of the century. US Social Security data has it at 27th in the 1880s, 24th in the 1890s and 26th in the 1900s, then 35th in the 1910s, its biggest decade, when nearly 50,000 American girls were named Gertrude. It fell out of the top 200 after the 1930s, and Behind the Name says it last ranked in the US top 1000 for girls in 1965. A Gertrude notebook is a gift with real vintage character.
Did you know?
Gertrude Ederle beat the record by nearly two hours. Wikipedia says her 1926 Channel crossing broke the previous record, set by Enrique Tirabocchi in 1923, by one hour and 48 minutes, and the press called her the “Queen of the Waves”. Two years earlier, at the 1924 Paris Olympics, she had won a gold medal with the US relay team.
Gift ideas for a Gertrude
- For a swimmer. Training logs, in honor of Gertrude Ederle.
- For a writer. Drafts and salon-worthy ideas, in honor of Gertrude Stein.
- For a traveler. Trip notes for a name shared with explorer Gertrude Bell.
- For a family historian. Gertrude peaked in the 1910s, a classic great-grandmother’s name.
Who is it for and how she can use it
Whether Gertrude is eight or eighty, a 6" x 9" notebook is a comfortable size: big enough to write in properly, slim enough to carry. The 160 lined pages don’t come with a set layout, so she decides what it’s for. Journal, planner, class notes, recipes, travel log or doodle book all work. And with her name on the cover, nobody will mistake it for theirs.
Why personalized works
Personalized gifts show you thought about the person, not just the occasion. A notebook with Gertrude on the cover is affordable, useful every day and still feels special. It’s also a safe choice when you’re not sure of someone’s style, because everyone needs somewhere to write things down.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Gertrude’s Notebook? It’s 6" x 9" (about 15.2 x 22.9 cm), with 160 lined pages in a paperback cover.
Where do I buy it? On Amazon. It’s printed on demand and shipped by Amazon, so delivery and returns go through your usual Amazon account.
Do you have other names? Plenty. If you’re shopping for more than one person, see all name notebooks and our personalized name notebooks page.
Check out Gertrude's Notebook on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Gertrude's Notebook is published by Black Stag Publishing.