Genevieve
Genevieve was the 148th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,981 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 76th; the most babies were born in 1918 (3,304). Over the last ten years it has moved up 34 places. More babies were named Genevieve in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · French, Germanic, Celtic
Say it JEN-uh-veev /ˈdʒɛnəviv/
- Rank in 2025
- #148 girls, up 21 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,981girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19183,304 babies
- Total since 1880
- 125,282babies recorded
What does the name Genevieve mean?
Genevieve is the French Geneviève, the name of the 5th- and 6th-century patron saint of Paris, whom DMNES also notes as the heroine of a medieval legend. Its origin is debated. DMNES derives it from Germanic words for 'kin, family' and 'woman, wife', which Wikipedia also gives, reading it as 'woman of the family'. Wiktionary adds a possible Celtic origin from a word meaning 'family, clan'. DMNES finds shortened Latin forms in English records from 1222.
*kunją (Proto-Germanic, “kin, family”)*wībą (Proto-Germanic, “woman, wife”)*genos (Proto-Celtic, “family, clan (alternative)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Germanic 'kin + woman' (DMNES) versus a Celtic source (Wiktionary alternative).
Related names: Geneviève, Genoveva, Gwenevere, Genna, Vivi.
See also: French names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Genevieve', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Genevieve', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Genevieve (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Genevieve
The usual nicknames for Genevieve are Gen, Evie, Vivi and Genny. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Genevieve in the last five years, 62 were named Evie, against 15 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen | Modern | — | — |
| Evie · also for Evelina, Evelyn, Everly | Modern | #270 | 5,688 |
| Vivi · also for Vivian, Viviana | Modern | — | — |
| Genny | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Genevieves go by each one.
Genevieve popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 151 since 1913.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #148 | 1,981 |
| 2020 | #169 | 1,711 |
| 2010 | #278 | 1,196 |
| 2000 | #510 | 523 |
| 1990 | #486 | 501 |
| 1980 | #424 | 510 |
| 1970 | #578 | 308 |
| 1960 | #602 | 274 |
| 1950 | #406 | 387 |
| 1940 | #254 | 616 |
| 1930 | #143 | 1,497 |
| 1920 | #86 | 3,258 |
| 1910 | #98 | 908 |
| 1900 | #142 | 420 |
| 1890 | #163 | 217 |
| 1880 | #202 | 59 |
How popular is Genevieve, counting every spelling?
Genevieve has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #173 for girls in 2025, against #148 on the official list, because Kaylani/Kailani/Keilani and Isabelle/Isabel/Izabel and Adalynn/Adalyn/Addalyn move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Genevieve?
1,981 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Genevieve (0.55 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Genevieve 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 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Genevieve.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Genevieve?
About 56,700 people born in the US named Genevieve are alive today, with a median age of 18; half are between 8 and 44. That makes Genevieve mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Genevieve by state
How common Genevieve was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alaska (3.6×), District of Columbia (3.5×), Rhode Island (3.0×), New Hampshire (2.8×), Kansas (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Genevieve: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Genevieve, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Genevieve · Sibling names for Genevieve
Questions about the name Genevieve
What does Genevieve mean?
The origin of Genevieve is uncertain: Germanic 'kin + woman' (DMNES) versus a Celtic source (Wiktionary alternative).
How popular is the name Genevieve?
Genevieve was the 148th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,981 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 76th; the most babies were born in 1918 (3,304). Over the last ten years it has moved up 34 places. More babies were named Genevieve in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Genevieve a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Genevieve in the US.
Where is Genevieve most popular?
In 2021–2025, Genevieve was most common in Alaska (4.07 per 1,000 girls), followed by District of Columbia and Rhode Island.