girl's name
Geneva
juh-NEE-vuh
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 89,610
Geneva is not named after the Swiss city — it is a form of Genevieve, whose own meaning is unsettled, and the city's name comes from a Celtic word for a bend or estuary entirely separately.
- Geneva is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 2,590 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 26,523 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Geneva 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 | 663 |
| 1890s | 1,669 |
| 1900s | 3,861 |
| 1910s | 15,110 |
| 1920s | 23,383 |
| 1930s | 14,353 |
| 1940s | 9,532 |
| 1950s | 6,175 |
| 1960s | 3,361 |
| 1970s | 2,510 |
| 1980s | 2,336 |
| 1990s | 1,974 |
| 2000s | 1,603 |
| 2010s | 1,712 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 825 |
What Geneva means
Geneva has no securely known meaning. It descends from Genevieve, whose derivation has never been established, with a Gaulish compound and a Germanic one both proposed.
Where Geneva comes from
Geneva is an English form of Genevieve, a name of Gaulish or Germanic origin whose derivation is genuinely open — woman of the people and white wave are the two standard proposals and the sources do not agree. The Swiss city is unrelated: its name is Celtic, usually read as a bend or the mouth of a river, describing where the Rhône leaves the lake. Saint Genevieve is patron of Paris, credited with organizing the city's resistance when Attila approached in 451.
Geneva in use
Geneva peaked in the United States in 1924, when 2,590 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in three of the seven markets we track — 1,660th in the United States on 125 births and 7440th in England and Wales — across 89,610 lifetime births. Our records carry it from 1880.
How popular is Geneva?
In 2025, Geneva was given to 125 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Geneva 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 Geneva
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Geneva also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Geneva over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Geneva
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Geneva 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 Geneva
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Geneva — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Geneva
What does the name Geneva mean?
Not known. It descends from Genevieve, whose derivation has never been established.
Is Geneva named after the Swiss city?
No. The city's name is Celtic, describing a bend or river mouth, and is unrelated.
Who was Saint Genevieve?
Patron of Paris, credited with organizing the city's resistance when Attila approached in 451.
How popular is Geneva?
1660th in the United States, and our data marks it stable.
Is Geneva a girl's or a boy's name?
Geneva is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Geneva?
Geneva has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Geneva?
Geneva is usually shortened to Gen and Neva.
Is Geneva a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Geneva currently ranks #1,660 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.