Genevieve

Genevieve - A very unique female name

Genevieve appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #98. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Genevieve and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Genevieve? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Genevieve. The baby girl name Genevieve was given to 1,976 baby girls in 2025, ranking #148 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 660 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Genevieve peaked in popularity 112 years ago in 1914 on position 76.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Genevieve, 1-5?

Genevieve is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Genevieve is currently topping the baby name charts in Alaska at position #41 - and is the least popular in Mississippi at position #460.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Genevieve is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Genevieve origin and meaning

French, from a Germanic or Celtic name — disputed

Uncertain — Genevieve is often explained as 'woman of the people' or 'of the race', but the derivation of the underlying name Genovefa is not settled

Genevieve is the French form of the name of Paris's patron saint, a fifth-century woman credited with saving the city from Attila. The name behind her, Genovefa, is Germanic or possibly Celtic, and its elements cannot be read with confidence. In the US it peaked in 1918 and is now in a vintage revival.

Origin uncertain

Genevieve is a 9 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Genevieve, pop culture references for the name Genevieve and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Genevieve

We've found the following names that sound similar to Genevieve, sorted by popularity.

Geneva / Genoveva / Genevie / Genavieve / Genevia / Genevive / Genevy / Genavie / Genova / Geneviev /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Genevieve

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Genevieve a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Genevieve?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

JEN-uh-veev · /ˈdʒɛnəviːv/

Around the world

• Genoveva (Spanish) — The Spanish form, closer to the saint's Latin name
• Genoveva (Portuguese) — Used as-is in Portuguese
• Genoveva (German) — The German form of the same saint's name

Spellings and nicknames

• Geneveive — A common misspelling, not an established variant
• Jennyve — A rare phonetic respelling

Nicknames: GenGennyViviEvie

Famous bearers

• Genevieve Padalecki — Actress known for Supernatural and Wildfire (b. 1981) Contemporary

Style

ClassicVintage revivalInternational

Why parents choose it

Genevieve offers French elegance and a saint's history with modern nickname options from Gen to Vivi, and its revival is still gentle rather than saturated.

Worth knowing

• Frequently misspelled — the order of the i and e trips people up
• The French pronunciation, zhen-uh-vee-EV, differs from the English one