Genevive
A feminine name of French origin meaning "well born" or "the white wave".
Name Census estimates that about 452 living Americans carry the first name Genevive. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Genevive today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Genevive births was 1923 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Genevive. 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
452
~ 1 in 758,306 Americans
Peak year
1923
35 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2023 SSA rank
#15,984
Tracked since 1892
Popularity
Genevive: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Genevive from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 234 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Genevive 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 Genevive during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Genevives live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Illinois, Texas recorded the most babies named Genevive, while New York, Texas, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Genevive
The name Genevieve is of French origin, derived from the Germanic word "Genovefa" or "Kenowefa," which means "tribal woman" or "woman of the race." Its roots can be traced back to the 5th century in the Frankish territories of ancient Gaul, modern-day France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Genevieve can be found in the life of Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, who lived from around 419 to 512 AD. She is celebrated for her courage and devotion during the Siege of Paris by the Huns, where legend has it that she persuaded the people to remain in the city and pray, leading to the retreat of the invading forces.
In the Middle Ages, the name Genevieve gained popularity across Europe, particularly in France and England. Notable figures bearing this name include Genevieve of Brabant (c. 1130-1183), a duchess of Brabant and the subject of a medieval romance; and Genevieve de Gaulle (1920-1963), the wife of French President Charles de Gaulle.
During the Renaissance period, the name continued to be widely used, with Genevieve Brossart de Meré (1543-1625), a French noblewoman and writer, being one of the most prominent figures of the time. In the 17th century, Genevieve Feuillette (1663-1736), a French midwife and author, made significant contributions to the field of obstetrics.
The 19th century saw the name Genevieve gain traction in the English-speaking world, with notable figures such as Genevieve Ward (1837-1924), an American actress and playwright, and Genevieve Haxton (1859-1939), an Australian physician and women's rights activist.
As the name traversed different cultures and eras, it underwent various spellings and pronunciations, including Genoveva, Guinevere, and Ginevra, reflecting the linguistic diversity and influences of different regions.
People
Genevive + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Genevive 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
Genevive: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Genevive?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 452 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Genevive 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 758,306 US residents.
Is Genevive a common name?
We classify Genevive as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,069 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Genevive most popular?
The single biggest year for Genevive was 1923, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Genevive is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Genevive a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Genevive 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.
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.