Genessa
Feminine name possibly derived from Genesis, initially a surname meaning "born of greatness".
Name Census estimates that about 456 living Americans carry the first name Genessa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Genessa today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Genessa births was 2014 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Genessa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
456
~ 1 in 751,654 Americans
Peak year
2014
18 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,008
Tracked since 1974
Census
Genessa in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 412 people with the first name Genessa, which placed it at #23,670 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#23,670
National first-name rank
People counted
412
412 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
41.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Genessa
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Genessa is White at 41.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (29.6%) and Black (14.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Genessa described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Genessa at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White41.7% · 172
- Hispanic or Latino29.6% · 122
- Black or African American14.1% · 58
- Two or more races7.5% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.6% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Popularity
Genessa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Genessa from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 120 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Genessa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Genessa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Genessas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Genessa
Genessa is a feminine given name with origins that can be traced back to Ancient Greece. The name is derived from the Greek word "genesis," which means "origin" or "creation." In Greek mythology, Genesis was the goddess of birth and creation, making the name a fitting choice for a newborn child.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Genessa can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentioned a woman named Genessa from the city of Ephesus, who was known for her skill in weaving intricate tapestries.
During the Byzantine era, which lasted from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Genessa gained popularity among the Greek Orthodox Christian community. It was often given to girls born around the time of the Feast of the Nativity, as a way to celebrate the birth of Christ and the creation of the world.
In the Middle Ages, the name Genessa made its way to Western Europe, particularly in Italy and France. One notable figure from this period was Genessa de Montferrat (1115-1145), a noblewoman from the Duchy of Montferrat in northern Italy. She was known for her involvement in the political affairs of the region and her patronage of the arts.
Another prominent figure with the name Genessa was Genessa de Vivonne (1619-1684), a French aristocrat and courtier at the court of King Louis XIV. She was renowned for her wit and intellect, and was a member of the famous literary salon hosted by the Marquise de Rambouillet.
In the 19th century, the name Genessa experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in the United States. One notable American woman with this name was Genessa Garfield (1832-1904), the wife of President James A. Garfield. She was an advocate for women's education and played an active role in her husband's political career.
Other notable individuals with the name Genessa include the British writer Genessa Fairfax (1901-1983), known for her novels and short stories, and the American actress Genessa Pugh (1924-2007), who had a successful career on stage, television, and in film.
While the name Genessa is not as common today as it once was, its rich history and connections to ancient mythology and cultural traditions make it a unique and meaningful choice for parents seeking a name with a strong sense of heritage.
People
Genessa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Genessa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Genessa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Genessa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 456 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Genessa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 751,654 US residents.
Is Genessa a common name?
We classify Genessa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 470 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Genessa most popular?
The single biggest year for Genessa was 2014, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Genessa is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Genessa in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 412 people with the name Genessa, or 0.14 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #23,670 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Genessa in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Genessa?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Genessa appears almost entirely female. Of the 416 people counted with this name, 99.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Genessa?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Genessa is White at 41.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (29.6%) and Black (14.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Genessa most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Genessa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.7% (172 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Genessa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Genessa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Genessa in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Genessa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Genessa in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Genessa can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many Americans are named Genessa?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.