Genetha
A feminine name likely of Greek origin representing life or creation.
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Genetha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Genetha today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Genetha births was 1957 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Genetha. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Genetha is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Genethas were born before 1966.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Genetha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1957
6 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1971 SSA rank
#7,688
Tracked since 1920
Census
Genetha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 99 people with the first name Genetha, which placed it at #53,419 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
#53,419
National first-name rank
People counted
99
99 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
82.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Genetha
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Genetha is Black at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.2%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Genetha 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 Genetha at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American82.8% · 82
- White15.2% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Popularity
Genetha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Genetha from the 1920s through to the 1970s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 22 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Genetha 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 Genetha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Genetha
The name Genetha has its origins in the Greek language, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "gennetos," which means "born" or "created." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with concepts of birth, life, and creation.
One of the earliest recorded appearances of the name Genetha can be traced back to the 5th century BCE, when it was mentioned in a collection of ancient Greek texts. These texts referred to a woman named Genetha, who was said to be a respected midwife and healer in the city of Athens.
During the Byzantine era, the name Genetha gained some popularity among Greek Orthodox Christians. It was often given to girls as a way to honor the Virgin Mary's role in the birth of Jesus Christ. The name was seen as a symbol of new life and the miracle of creation.
In the 9th century CE, a Genetha was mentioned in the writings of a renowned Byzantine historian. This Genetha was a noblewoman known for her charitable works and her support of the arts and literature.
Moving forward to the 12th century, there was a famous Byzantine scholar and philosopher named Genetha of Constantinople. She was renowned for her knowledge of classical Greek literature and her contributions to the study of ancient texts.
Another notable figure bearing the name Genetha was a 16th-century Italian painter from Venice. Genetha Veneziano was celebrated for her vibrant and expressive portraits, which captured the essence of the Renaissance era.
Throughout history, the name Genetha has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and noble figures. While its usage may have waxed and waned over the centuries, the name's association with birth, creation, and new beginnings has remained a constant thread throughout its rich and storied past.
People
Genetha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Genetha 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
Genetha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Genetha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Genetha 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 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Genetha a common name?
We classify Genetha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Genetha most popular?
The single biggest year for Genetha was 1957, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Genetha is about 70 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Genetha in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 99 people with the name Genetha, or 0.03 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #53,419 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 Genetha 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 Genetha?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Genetha appears almost entirely female. Of the 98 people counted with this name, 100.0% 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 Genetha?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Genetha is Black at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.2%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Genetha most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Genetha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (82 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 Genetha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Genetha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Genetha 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 Genetha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Genetha 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 Genetha 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 people have the name Genetha?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.