girl's name
Ginette
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- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Letters 7
- Births on record 132,372
Ginette is a French diminutive of Geneviève, a name whose meaning is not settled. It peaked in France in 1930 at 6,820 births and now ranks in none of the six markets we track.
- Ginette is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1930, when 6,820 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- First appears in birth records in 1909.
Ginette over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 1990s. The striped bar is the 1990s, still in progress — it covers 1990 to 1998, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 795 |
| 1920s | 36,355 |
| 1930s | 51,935 |
| 1940s | 26,925 |
| 1950s | 12,725 |
| 1960s | 2,340 |
| 1970s | 285 |
| 1980s | 80 |
| 1990s (to 1998) | 35 |
What Ginette means
Ginette has no securely known meaning, because Geneviève does not. Woman of the people and white wave are both proposed for it, and neither one is established.
Where Ginette comes from
Ginette is a French diminutive of Geneviève, a name of Gaulish or Germanic origin whose derivation is genuinely open — proposals include a Gaulish compound meaning woman of the people and a Germanic one meaning white wave, and the sources do not agree. Saint Geneviève is patron of Paris, credited with turning Attila away from the city in 451 by organizing prayer and refusing to let the population flee. The -ette ending is the same French diminutive that gave Josette, Georgette and Jeanette.
Ginette in use
Ginette peaked in France in 1930, when 6,820 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It no longer ranks in any of the six markets we track, across 132,372 lifetime births. Stable on a name that has left every chart means the decline flattened, not that it holds a position — the same reading Raymonde and Annick carry in this group.
How popular is Ginette?
In 1998, Ginette was given to 5 babies in France. It was given to fewer than five babies in the most recent year of published US data.
Where Ginette is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ginette
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ginette also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ginette over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ginette
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.
Ginette 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 Ginette
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ginette — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ginette
What does the name Ginette mean?
Not known. Geneviève, the parent name, has no established derivation.
Who was Saint Geneviève?
The patron of Paris, credited with turning Attila away from the city in 451.
Is Ginette related to Gina?
They can share Geneviève as a source, though Gina more often shortens Regina or Luigina.
Does Ginette still rank?
Not in any of the six markets we track, despite a 1930 French peak of 6,820 births.
How popular is the name Ginette?
In 1998, Ginette was given to 5 babies in France. It was given to fewer than five babies in the most recent year of published US data.
Is Ginette a girl's or a boy's name?
Ginette is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
When was Ginette most popular?
Ginette peaked in 1930, when 6,820 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ginette?
Ginette is usually shortened to Gigi.