Genny
A feminine diminutive form of the name Jennifer, derived from Guinevere.
Name Census estimates that about 1,043 living Americans carry the first name Genny. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Genny today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Genny births was 1971 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Genny. 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
1.0K
~ 1 in 328,624 Americans
Peak year
1971
47 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
2013 SSA rank
#17,466
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Genny: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Genny from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 278 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Genny 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 Genny during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gennys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, New York, Ohio recorded the most babies named Genny, while Texas, Illinois, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Genny
The given name Genny is a diminutive form of the name Jennie, which is itself a pet form of the name Jennifer. The name Jennifer originates from the Cornish language and is derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, which means "white wave" or "fair and smooth." This name has its roots in the ancient Celtic culture of Cornwall and Wales.
The name Genny can be traced back to the Middle Ages when the name Jennifer first appeared in written records. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gwenhwyfar, the wife of King Arthur in Arthurian legends. These legends, which date back to the 12th century, depict her as a beautiful and noble queen, lending the name a sense of grace and elegance.
In the 16th century, the name Jennifer emerged as a variant of Gwenhwyfar and became popular among the English gentry. It was during this time that the shortened form Jennie and its diminutive Genny likely began to appear. One notable historical figure bearing the name Genny was Genny Baddeley (1573-1626), an English courtier and mistress of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
As the name Jennifer gained popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries, so too did its diminutive forms. Genny Radcliffe (1677-1735) was an English actress and singer who performed on the London stage during the Restoration period. Another notable Genny was Genny Malvasia (1715-1789), an Italian botanist and naturalist known for her contributions to the study of plant life in the Mediterranean region.
During the Victorian era, the name Genny became associated with a sense of youthful innocence and charm. Genny Browning (1833-1912) was a British author and poet whose works often explored themes of childhood and nature. Genny Lind (1820-1887), known as the "Swedish Nightingale," was a renowned opera singer celebrated for her pure, crystalline voice and her charitable endeavors.
The 20th century saw the name Genny continue to be used, though not as widely as its parent name Jennifer. Genny Shafer (1914-2008) was an American golfer who won multiple LPGA tournaments and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Genny Eyre (1937-2021) was a British actress and television presenter known for her roles in popular sitcoms and dramas.
People
Genny + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Genny 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
Genny: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Genny?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,043 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Genny 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 328,624 US residents.
Is Genny a common name?
We classify Genny as "Rare". It ranks above 90.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,300 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Genny most popular?
The single biggest year for Genny was 1971, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Genny is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Genny a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Genny 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.