Genna
A feminine name of uncertain origin, perhaps a variant of "Gena" or "Gina".
Name Census estimates that about 2,869 living Americans carry the first name Genna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Genna today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Genna births was 1986 (144 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Genna. 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
2.9K
~ 1 in 119,468 Americans
Peak year
1986
144 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,051
Tracked since 1934
Popularity
Genna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Genna from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 891 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Genna 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 Genna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gennas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. New York, California, Michigan recorded the most babies named Genna, while Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 61 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Genna
The name Genna is believed to have originated from the Italian language. It is a feminine form of the name Gennaro, which is derived from the Latin name Ianuarius. Ianuarius is associated with the Roman god Janus, who was the god of beginnings, transitions, and doorways.
The name Genna has been in use since ancient times in Italy, particularly in the regions of Naples and Campania. Its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where it was a popular name among Italian families.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Genna can be found in the writings of the renowned Italian poet and scholar, Petrarch, who lived from 1304 to 1374. In his poetry, he mentioned a woman named Genna, whom he admired for her beauty and grace.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Genna. One of the most famous was Genna Boccamazza (1481-1549), an Italian painter and artist from Naples who was renowned for her religious works and portraits.
Another notable figure was Genna Maria Schiavo (1639-1717), an Italian Benedictine nun and mystic who was known for her visions and spiritual writings. She was declared Venerable by the Catholic Church in 1874.
In the 19th century, Genna Branchi (1802-1879) was an Italian opera singer and composer who gained fame for her performances in various operas across Europe.
Genna Gennari (1866-1947) was an Italian sculptor and artist who was best known for her works in bronze and marble. She was commissioned to create several public monuments and sculptures in Italy.
More recently, Genna Sosonko (1946-2010) was a Russian-born Israeli chess grandmaster and author who wrote extensively on chess theory and strategy.
While the name Genna has its roots in Italian culture and history, it has since been adopted and used in various other cultures and languages, though its origins can be traced back to the ancient Latin name Ianuarius and the Roman god Janus.
People
Genna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Genna 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
Genna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Genna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,869 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Genna 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 119,468 US residents.
Is Genna a common name?
We classify Genna as "Rare". It ranks above 95% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,031 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Genna most popular?
The single biggest year for Genna was 1986, when 144 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Genna is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Genna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Genna 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.