Gevena
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "one from Geneva".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Gevena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gevena today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gevena births was 1954 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gevena. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gevena is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gevenas were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gevena. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1954
8 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1954 SSA rank
#4,405
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Gevena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gevena from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 21 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Gevena remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gevena 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 Gevena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gevena
The given name Gevena is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was predominant in the Indian subcontinent during the Vedic period, dating back to around 1500 BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "gavina," which means "cattle-herd" or "cowherd." This suggests that the name may have been associated with pastoral or agricultural communities in ancient India.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gevena can be found in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In this epic, Gevena is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a cowherd who played a small role in one of the stories.
During the medieval period, the name Gevena appears to have been particularly popular in parts of southern India, where it was often given to children born into families involved in cattle-rearing or farming. Historical records from the 12th century CE mention a notable figure named Gevena, who was a renowned scholar and poet in the court of the Chalukya dynasty in present-day Karnataka.
In the 16th century, a legendary warrior named Gevena Naik is said to have lived in the region of present-day Maharashtra. According to local folklore, he was known for his exceptional bravery and leadership in battles against invading forces, earning him a place in the oral traditions of the region.
Another notable figure bearing the name Gevena was a 17th-century Hindu philosopher and spiritual teacher from the state of Tamil Nadu. He is credited with writing several influential texts on Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy.
In more recent history, Gevena Ramaraju (1879-1952) was a prominent Indian politician and social reformer who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and worked towards the upliftment of underprivileged communities.
While the name Gevena has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Indian culture, its usage has not been limited to any particular region or community in modern times. Variations of the name, such asGevena, Gevina, or Gavina, can be found across different parts of the world, though it remains relatively uncommon compared to other names of similar origins.
People
Gevena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gevena 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
Gevena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gevena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gevena 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Gevena a common name?
We classify Gevena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 50 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gevena most popular?
The single biggest year for Gevena was 1954, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gevena is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gevena in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gevena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gevena 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.
Is Gevena still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gevena in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gevena can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Gevena?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.