Genoa
An Italian place name referring to the Italian city of Genoa.
Name Census estimates that about 100 living Americans carry the first name Genoa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Genoa today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Genoa births was 1925 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Genoa. 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
100
~ 1 in 3,427,543 Americans
Peak year
1925
10 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2013 SSA rank
#15,267
Tracked since 1906
Popularity
Genoa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Genoa from the 1900s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 56 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
Genoa 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 Genoa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Genoas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Genoa
The name Genoa has its roots in the Italian city of the same name, located in the northwestern region of Liguria. The origin of the city's name can be traced back to the Latin word "Genua," which was derived from the ancient Ligurian word "Genua" or "Genoa," meaning "knee" or "bend," referring to the city's location on a curved stretch of the Italian Riviera.
During the Middle Ages, the city of Genoa rose to prominence as a powerful maritime republic, playing a significant role in the Crusades and becoming a major trading center in the Mediterranean. It is possible that the name Genoa gained popularity as a given name during this period, reflecting the city's cultural and economic influence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Genoa can be found in the 13th century, with Genoa da Montefeltro, an Italian noblewoman who lived from around 1235 to 1305. She was the daughter of Guido da Montefeltro, a renowned military leader and Lord of Urbino.
In the 16th century, Genoa Borgia (1492-1516) was a prominent figure in Italian history. She was the daughter of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso of Aragon, Duke of Bisceglie, and was known for her involvement in the political intrigues of the Borgia family.
Another notable bearer of the name was Genoa Tornielli (1541-1623), an Italian Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Novara from 1579 to 1623. He played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation and was known for his efforts to reform the clergy and promote education.
In the 18th century, Genoa Gambara (1733-1798) was an Italian painter and engraver. She was a member of the prestigious Accademia di San Luca in Rome and is known for her paintings depicting religious and mythological scenes.
Genoa Trent (1825-1901) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 12th Governor of Virginia from 1890 to 1894. He played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts in Virginia after the American Civil War.
While the name Genoa has its origins in the Italian city, its usage as a given name has spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the cultural and historical connections between different regions and civilizations.
People
Genoa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Genoa 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
Genoa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Genoa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 100 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Genoa 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 3,427,543 US residents.
Is Genoa a common name?
We classify Genoa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 213 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Genoa most popular?
The single biggest year for Genoa was 1925, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Genoa is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Genoa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Genoa 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.