boy's name
Gene
JEEN
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 134,874
Northern Ireland
#412
2023 births
Gene means well-born, shortened from Eugene — and it has nothing at all to do with genes in biology, which is a separate word coined in 1909 from a different Greek root entirely, by a Danish botanist.
- Gene is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1928, when 3,311 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 52,626 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Gene over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 169 |
| 1890s | 359 |
| 1900s | 815 |
| 1910s | 4,930 |
| 1920s | 19,936 |
| 1930s | 30,251 |
| 1940s | 28,750 |
| 1950s | 20,260 |
| 1960s | 13,936 |
| 1970s | 6,404 |
| 1980s | 3,726 |
| 1990s | 2,119 |
| 2000s | 1,020 |
| 2010s | 721 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 478 |
What Gene means
Gene means well-born, or noble, carried from Eugene. The Greek joins a prefix meaning good or well to a root meaning born, so the sense is good birth.
Where Gene comes from
Gene shortens Eugene, from the Greek Eugenios — eu, good or well, joined to genes, born. The biological gene is a false friend: Wilhelm Johannsen coined it in 1909 from the Greek genos, a race or kind, and the resemblance is a coincidence of English clipping. The eu prefix gives euphoria, eulogy and euthanasia; the genes element gives genesis and genealogy. Four popes and a saint carried Eugene, and its Irish use comes from anglicizing Eoghan, which is a separate name entirely.
Gene in use
Gene peaked in the United States in 1928, when 3,311 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 668th in England and Wales on 54 births — its strongest market by a wide margin — then 737th in Scotland and 2232nd in the United States on 63, across 134,874 lifetime births in three of the seven markets we track. About five percent of recorded births are female.
How popular is Gene?
In 2025, Gene was given to 63 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Gene is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Gene
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Gene also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Gene over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Gene in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Gene
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Gene — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Gene
What does the name Gene mean?
Well-born — the Greek eu, good, joined to genes, born.
Is the name related to genes in biology?
No. That word was coined in 1909 from genos, a race or kind. The resemblance is a coincidence of English clipping.
Is Gene short for Eugene?
Yes, and Eugene is also used in Ireland to anglicize Eoghan, which is a separate name.
Where is Gene most used?
England and Wales at 668th, well above the United States at 2232nd.
How popular is the name Gene?
In 2025, Gene was given to 63 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Gene a girl's or a boy's name?
Gene is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Gene?
Gene has 1 syllable.
When was Gene most popular?
Gene peaked in 1928, when 3,311 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Gene a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Gene currently ranks #668 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.