Genevieve Girl

Popularity: #145 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JEN-uh-veev /ˈdʒɛnəˌviːv/

Origin: French; Latin

Meaning: French: woman of the race; Latin: tribe woman

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Genevieve has its roots in the Old French name "Genèvieve," which is derived from the Germanic elements "ken," meaning "kin" or "family," and "wefa," meaning "woman" or "wife." The name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, where it evolved into various forms, including the anglicized "Genevieve." Its etymological journey reflects a blend of cultural influences, transitioning from Germanic origins through Old French before becoming established in the English language. Historically, Genevieve is closely associated with Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, who lived in the 5th century.

She is credited with saving the city from an invasion by Attila the Hun, and her veneration grew significantly during the Middle Ages, particularly in France. The cult of Saint Genevieve was prominent in the 9th century, with her feast day celebrated on January 3.

The name gained further recognition through various hagiographies and ecclesiastical texts, which contributed to its enduring presence in Christian tradition. Culturally, Genevieve has been linked to themes of protection and strength, often symbolizing resilience in the face of adversity.

The name has been embraced in various artistic and literary works throughout history, reinforcing its significance. In addition, diminutive forms such as "Gen" or "Genny" have emerged, reflecting the name's adaptability across different cultures and languages.

Genevieve's historical and cultural resonance has ensured its place in the lexicon of names, embodying a rich tapestry of heritage and meaning.

Famous people named Genevieve

In this section, you will find notable people named Genevieve. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Genevieve who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Genevieve who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Genevieve Bujold is an actress best known for Anne of the Thousand Days, Dead Ringers, and Star Trek: Voyager.

Genevieve Nnaji is an actress and filmmaker best known for Lionheart, Half of a Yellow Sun, and The Wedding Party.

Genevieve Cortese is an actress best known for Supernatural, The Dead Zone, and The Blackcoat's Daughter.

Fictional characters named Genevieve

The following list of fictional characters named Genevieve is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Genevieve is a fictional character from the animated film Barbie as The Island Princess. She is a princess who befriends a shipwrecked boy and learns about love and friendship throughout her adventures.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Genevieve, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JulietteGabrielleCharlotteIsabelleMargauxAmélie

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Genevieve. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

GenevaGwendolynGenevraGinaGinevraVivienneSeraphineEvangeline

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Genevieve was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Genevieve has ranked as high as #141 nationally, which occurred in 1918, and has been most popular in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Michigan.

In the past 5 years the name Genevieve has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Genevieve is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Genevieve was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Genevieve.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,981 0 1,981
2024 1,849 0 1,849
2023 1,752 0 1,752
2022 1,748 0 1,748
2021 1,841 0 1,841
2020 1,711 0 1,711
2019 1,722 0 1,722
2018 1,714 0 1,714
2017 1,666 0 1,666
2016 1,740 6 1,734
2015 1,780 0 1,780
2014 1,610 0 1,610
2013 1,465 0 1,465
2012 1,390 0 1,390
2011 1,366 0 1,366
2010 1,196 0 1,196
2009 1,156 0 1,156
2008 1,041 0 1,041
2007 963 0 963
2006 888 0 888
2005 795 0 795
2004 754 0 754
2003 787 0 787
2002 737 0 737
2001 582 0 582
2000 523 0 523
1999 511 0 511
1998 471 0 471
1997 420 0 420
1996 460 0 460
1995 462 0 462
1994 432 0 432
1993 433 0 433
1992 456 0 456
1991 421 0 421
1990 501 0 501
1989 410 7 403
1988 450 0 450
1987 439 0 439
1986 446 0 446
1985 508 0 508
1984 479 0 479
1983 488 5 483
1982 527 0 527
1981 507 0 507
1980 510 0 510
1979 469 0 469
1978 458 0 458
1977 399 0 399
1976 400 0 400
1975 334 0 334
1974 316 0 316
1973 295 0 295
1972 326 0 326
1971 329 0 329
1970 308 0 308
1969 257 0 257
1968 196 0 196
1967 200 0 200
1966 219 0 219
1965 238 0 238
1964 276 0 276
1963 290 0 290
1962 277 0 277
1961 319 0 319
1960 274 0 274
1959 254 0 254
1958 314 0 314
1957 338 0 338
1956 276 0 276
1955 300 0 300
1954 295 0 295
1953 319 0 319
1952 337 0 337
1951 354 0 354
1950 387 0 387
1949 414 0 414
1948 443 0 443
1947 411 0 411
1946 476 0 476
1945 443 0 443
1944 490 0 490
1943 603 0 603
1942 617 8 609
1941 623 5 618
1940 616 0 616
1939 623 0 623
1938 686 0 686
1937 692 0 692
1936 772 5 767
1935 893 0 893
1934 969 0 969
1933 1,060 5 1,055
1932 1,148 0 1,148
1931 1,360 0 1,360
1930 1,503 6 1,497
1929 1,590 7 1,583
1928 1,755 9 1,746
1927 2,038 6 2,032
1926 2,037 6 2,031
1925 2,413 9 2,404
1924 2,735 10 2,725
1923 2,874 5 2,869
1922 2,897 0 2,897
1921 3,244 9 3,235
1920 3,266 8 3,258
1919 3,161 6 3,155
1918 3,313 9 3,304
1917 3,198 6 3,192
1916 3,063 0 3,063
1915 2,928 0 2,928
1914 2,263 9 2,254
1913 1,689 5 1,684
1912 1,353 0 1,353
1911 989 0 989
1910 908 0 908
1909 785 0 785
1908 654 0 654
1907 678 0 678
1906 561 0 561
1905 508 0 508
1904 481 0 481
1903 427 0 427
1902 410 0 410
1901 368 0 368
1900 420 0 420
1899 356 0 356
1898 391 0 391
1897 371 0 371
1896 305 0 305
1895 313 0 313
1894 271 0 271
1893 243 0 243
1892 236 0 236
1891 201 0 201
1890 217 0 217
1889 201 0 201
1888 154 0 154
1887 149 0 149
1886 136 0 136
1885 87 0 87
1884 89 0 89
1883 81 0 81
1882 74 0 74
1881 58 0 58
1880 59 0 59

Top States for Genevieve (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 192
11%
TX 169
9%
FL 95
5%
NY 90
5%
MI 81
4%
IL 79
4%
PA 74
4%
OH 68
4%
VA 60
3%
NC 57
3%
MO 54
3%
WA 48
3%
NJ 47
3%
WI 45
2%
CO 43
2%
IN 42
2%
MD 41
2%
MA 37
2%
LA 35
2%
MN 33
2%
TN 31
2%
IA 29
2%
SC 27
1%
GA 26
1%
AZ 25
1%
KS 25
1%
UT 24
1%
OR 22
1%
KY 21
1%
NE 20
1%
CT 20
1%
AR 18
1%
ID 17
1%
DC 16
1%
AL 14
1%
NV 14
1%
OK 13
1%
NM 13
1%
ME 11
1%
NH 10
1%
RI 7
0%
AK 6
0%
WV 6
0%
ND 5
0%
SD 5
0%
WY 5
0%