Genieve
Feminine name of French origin meaning "of the race".
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the first name Genieve. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Genieve today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Genieve births was 1915 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Genieve. 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
156
~ 1 in 2,197,143 Americans
Peak year
1915
22 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
2008 SSA rank
#12,998
Tracked since 1900
Popularity
Genieve: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Genieve from the 1900s through to the 2000s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 148 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
Genieve 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 Genieve during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Genieves live
Origin
Meaning and history of Genieve
The name Genieve is a French variant of the Germanic name Genovefa, derived from the elements "geno" meaning "race" or "kin" and "vefa" meaning "noble" or "consecrated." It originated in the 5th century and is associated with the legend of St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris.
According to legend, St. Genevieve was a young shepherdess who played a pivotal role in protecting Paris from the Huns led by Attila in 451 AD. Her courage and piety inspired the Parisians to resist the invasion, and she became a symbol of hope and resilience for the city. The popularity of her name spread throughout France and Europe, with various spellings and adaptations emerging over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Genieve can be found in the medieval chronicle "Vita Sanctae Genovefae" (Life of Saint Genevieve), written in the 6th century. This text details the life and miracles of the saint, cementing her significance in the Christian tradition.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Genieve. Geneviève de Brabant (c. 1200-1281) was a legendary figure from the Low Countries whose story of suffering and redemption became popular in medieval literature. Geneviève Bouric (1901-1986) was a French artist and painter known for her vibrant depictions of Parisian life.
In the literary realm, Geneviève Brisac (born 1959) is a French novelist and screenwriter, best known for her novel "Week-end de Rivière" (1996). Geneviève Filiâtre (1943-2012) was a renowned French actress who graced the stage and screen for over four decades, while Geneviève Castellanos (born 1976) is a contemporary Belgian singer and songwriter.
Although the name Genieve has its roots in French and Germanic cultures, it has gained popularity across various regions and languages over the centuries, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of St. Genevieve and the cultural exchange facilitated by her story.
People
Genieve + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Genieve 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
Genieve: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Genieve?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 156 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Genieve 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 2,197,143 US residents.
Is Genieve a common name?
We classify Genieve as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 536 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Genieve most popular?
The single biggest year for Genieve was 1915, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Genieve is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Genieve a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Genieve 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.