Gene
Gene was the 2238th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked 61st with 3,165 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 145 places. More babies were named Gene in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Eugene, 'well born' · English, Greek
Say it JEEN /dʒin/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,238 boys, down 578 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 63boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19373,165 babies
- Total since 1880
- 133,874babies recorded
What does the name Gene mean?
Gene is a short form of Eugene, as Wiktionary notes, and was used for both boys and girls, and often as a formal name. Eugene is from Greek Eugenios, from eu 'well' and genos 'birth, family', so 'well born'. Gene Kelly and Gene Autry made it familiar in the US in the mid-20th century; for girls it was also short for Jean or Eugenia.
εὖ (eu) (Ancient Greek, “well”)γένος (genos) (Ancient Greek, “birth, family”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Eugene, Eugenia, Jean.
See also: Greek names, names that mean noble.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gene', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Eugene', DMNES (Durham University)
Gene popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 6,997 since 1882.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,238 | 63 |
| 2020 | #1,660 | 96 |
| 2010 | #2,074 | 65 |
| 2000 | #1,132 | 123 |
| 1990 | #617 | 267 |
| 1980 | #380 | 451 |
| 1970 | #250 | 934 |
| 1960 | #174 | 1,796 |
| 1950 | #122 | 2,250 |
| 1940 | #70 | 3,060 |
| 1930 | #70 | 2,787 |
| 1920 | #173 | 810 |
| 1910 | #253 | 91 |
| 1900 | #302 | 48 |
| 1890 | #445 | 17 |
| 1880 | #771 | 7 |
How popular is Gene, counting every spelling?
Gene is the most common spelling of a name family that had 68 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 68 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gene | 63 | #2,238 | 377 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Gene?
63 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gene (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gene born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 133 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gene.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gene?
About 52,400 people born in the US named Gene are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 57 and 78. That makes Gene a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gene by state
How common Gene was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 42 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gene: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gene, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Gene · Sibling names for Gene
Gene is also a nickname for Eugene.
Questions about the name Gene
What does Gene mean?
Gene means “short form of Eugene, 'well born'” (English, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Gene?
Gene was the 2238th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked 61st with 3,165 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 145 places. More babies were named Gene in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Gene a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Gene in the US.
Where is Gene most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gene was most common in Illinois (0.06 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and California.