Fun Facts About the Name Geneva
- More than 89 thousand babies named Geneva: U.S. records list 89,065 babies given the name Geneva from 1880 through 2025. Even 309 boys received the name Geneva - about 1 boy for every 287 girls.
What Does the Name Geneva Mean?
Geneva is mainly a transferred use of the place name: the Swiss city on Lake Geneva, and the American towns named after it. Roman writers recorded the city in Latin as Genava. That form is generally traced to a Celtic word reconstructed as *genawa or *genua, built on a Celtic root *genu- meaning "jaw" or "mouth," which is related to the Indo-European word for "jaw, chin." The usual literal translation is "mouth of the river" or "estuary," understood as a description of the place where the Rhône flows out of Lake Geneva. The meaning is geographic, not personal. A different explanation appears in some name books, which treat Geneva as a form of Genevieve, the French name of Germanic origin commonly explained as "woman of the family" or "tribe woman." The two names look similar, but their spellings and origins are distinct, and that connection is not established.
Geneva Name History & Origins
Geneva started as the name of a settlement of the Allobroges, a Celtic people, at the point where the Rhône leaves Lake Geneva. Roman writers knew the town as Genava, and it stayed a place name through the medieval period, passing into the modern languages of the region as French Genève, German Genf, and Italian Ginevra. In the sixteenth century the city became widely known in the English-speaking world as the center of the Protestant Reformation under John Calvin.
The given name Geneva is a transferred use of that place name, part of the broad practice in English-speaking countries, especially the United States, of naming children after cities, lakes, and other places. It is used almost entirely as a feminine name. The Italian form Ginevra is also used as a given name in Italy; it is spelled the same as the Italian form of Guinevere, but the two words come from different sources.
How Popular is the Name Geneva?
Geneva recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1924. Its best rank was #106 in 1920.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,657 | 125 | 0.0078% |
| 2024 | #1,603 | 130 | 0.0081% |
| 2023 | #1,537 | 139 | 0.0087% |
| 2022 | #1,491 | 146 | 0.0089% |
| 2021 | #1,603 | 131 | 0.0080% |
| 2020 | #1,434 | 152 | 0.0094% |
| 2019 | #1,407 | 160 | 0.0095% |
| 2018 | #1,400 | 160 | 0.0094% |
| 2017 | #1,342 | 173 | 0.0100% |
| 2016 | #1,254 | 195 | 0.0110% |
| 2015 | #1,219 | 203 | 0.0114% |
| 2014 | #1,368 | 170 | 0.0095% |
| 2013 | #1,432 | 158 | 0.0090% |
| 2012 | #1,288 | 185 | 0.0105% |
| 2011 | #1,442 | 157 | 0.0089% |
| 2010 | #1,493 | 151 | 0.0085% |
| 2009 | #1,387 | 171 | 0.0093% |
| 2008 | #1,499 | 156 | 0.0083% |
| 2007 | #1,402 | 170 | 0.0088% |
| 2006 | #1,406 | 161 | 0.0085% |
| 2005 | #1,420 | 151 | 0.0082% |
| 2004 | #1,359 | 155 | 0.0084% |
| 2003 | #1,334 | 153 | 0.0084% |
| 2002 | #1,220 | 165 | 0.0092% |
| 2001 | #1,231 | 164 | 0.0091% |
| 2000 | #1,246 | 157 | 0.0086% |
| 1999 | #1,103 | 180 | 0.0101% |
| 1998 | #1,079 | 180 | 0.0102% |
| 1997 | #1,038 | 184 | 0.0106% |
| 1996 | #1,013 | 185 | 0.0106% |
| 1995 | #987 | 190 | 0.0108% |
| 1994 | #943 | 197 | 0.0110% |
| 1993 | #916 | 209 | 0.0116% |
| 1992 | #935 | 208 | 0.0113% |
| 1991 | #916 | 210 | 0.0112% |
| 1990 | #851 | 231 | 0.0122% |
| 1989 | #837 | 226 | 0.0123% |
| 1988 | #789 | 238 | 0.0134% |
| 1987 | #894 | 188 | 0.0108% |
| 1986 | #803 | 209 | 0.0122% |
| 1985 | #734 | 236 | 0.0137% |
| 1984 | #747 | 218 | 0.0129% |
| 1983 | #667 | 258 | 0.0154% |
| 1982 | #707 | 246 | 0.0145% |
| 1981 | #672 | 260 | 0.0156% |
| 1980 | #678 | 257 | 0.0155% |
| 1979 | #723 | 230 | 0.0143% |
| 1978 | #652 | 248 | 0.0162% |
| 1977 | #652 | 249 | 0.0162% |
| 1976 | #628 | 247 | 0.0169% |
| 1975 | #624 | 253 | 0.0174% |
| 1974 | #690 | 213 | 0.0145% |
| 1973 | #572 | 284 | 0.0195% |
| 1972 | #622 | 250 | 0.0164% |
| 1971 | #663 | 239 | 0.0144% |
| 1970 | #592 | 297 | 0.0170% |
| 1969 | #614 | 263 | 0.0156% |
| 1968 | #594 | 261 | 0.0159% |
| 1967 | #549 | 293 | 0.0177% |
| 1966 | #560 | 287 | 0.0170% |
| 1965 | #550 | 300 | 0.0170% |
| 1964 | #504 | 376 | 0.0198% |
| 1963 | #527 | 343 | 0.0178% |
| 1962 | #501 | 371 | 0.0189% |
| 1961 | #472 | 425 | 0.0211% |
| 1960 | #470 | 431 | 0.0213% |
| 1959 | #451 | 456 | 0.0225% |
| 1958 | #422 | 493 | 0.0245% |
| 1957 | #385 | 560 | 0.0274% |
| 1956 | #381 | 545 | 0.0271% |
| 1955 | #372 | 559 | 0.0286% |
| 1954 | #334 | 646 | 0.0333% |
| 1953 | #301 | 746 | 0.0397% |
| 1952 | #304 | 694 | 0.0374% |
| 1951 | #293 | 720 | 0.0400% |
| 1950 | #285 | 756 | 0.0441% |
| 1949 | #275 | 787 | 0.0460% |
| 1948 | #270 | 828 | 0.0488% |
| 1947 | #246 | 925 | 0.0522% |
| 1946 | #233 | 956 | 0.0608% |
| 1945 | #212 | 912 | 0.0698% |
| 1944 | #215 | 916 | 0.0690% |
| 1943 | #209 | 995 | 0.0713% |
| 1942 | #198 | 1,046 | 0.0774% |
| 1941 | #180 | 1,051 | 0.0870% |
| 1940 | #178 | 1,069 | 0.0935% |
| 1939 | #172 | 1,143 | 0.1042% |
| 1938 | #171 | 1,179 | 0.1068% |
| 1937 | #158 | 1,331 | 0.1251% |
| 1936 | #153 | 1,335 | 0.1283% |
| 1935 | #156 | 1,306 | 0.1245% |
| 1934 | #139 | 1,472 | 0.1410% |
| 1933 | #141 | 1,419 | 0.1408% |
| 1932 | #137 | 1,632 | 0.1529% |
| 1931 | #136 | 1,664 | 0.1563% |
| 1930 | #133 | 1,798 | 0.1597% |
| 1929 | #130 | 1,846 | 0.1653% |
| 1928 | #124 | 1,981 | 0.1718% |
| 1927 | #119 | 2,263 | 0.1898% |
| 1926 | #117 | 2,329 | 0.1965% |
| 1925 | #109 | 2,470 | 0.2029% |
| 1924 | #110 | 2,582 | 0.2067% |
| 1923 | #111 | 2,406 | 0.1994% |
| 1922 | #110 | 2,444 | 0.2035% |
| 1921 | #113 | 2,485 | 0.2015% |
| 1920 | #106 | 2,467 | 0.2059% |
| 1919 | #107 | 2,262 | 0.2002% |
| 1918 | #112 | 2,191 | 0.1893% |
| 1917 | #113 | 1,997 | 0.1847% |
| 1916 | #112 | 1,919 | 0.1838% |
| 1915 | #110 | 1,856 | 0.1886% |
| 1914 | #118 | 1,371 | 0.1800% |
| 1913 | #120 | 1,069 | 0.1712% |
| 1912 | #116 | 991 | 0.1776% |
| 1911 | #122 | 688 | 0.1645% |
| 1910 | #117 | 699 | 0.1763% |
| 1909 | #131 | 539 | 0.1552% |
| 1908 | #136 | 511 | 0.1529% |
| 1907 | #141 | 464 | 0.1457% |
| 1906 | #151 | 396 | 0.1341% |
| 1905 | #149 | 398 | 0.1365% |
| 1904 | #145 | 374 | 0.1358% |
| 1903 | #161 | 308 | 0.1176% |
| 1902 | #162 | 308 | 0.1166% |
| 1901 | #180 | 244 | 0.1019% |
| 1900 | #172 | 319 | 0.1064% |
| 1899 | #189 | 218 | 0.0936% |
| 1898 | #196 | 220 | 0.0850% |
| 1897 | #204 | 183 | 0.0781% |
| 1896 | #197 | 197 | 0.0828% |
| 1895 | #203 | 180 | 0.0770% |
| 1894 | #195 | 180 | 0.0807% |
| 1893 | #207 | 152 | 0.0714% |
| 1892 | #226 | 131 | 0.0617% |
| 1891 | #249 | 96 | 0.0518% |
| 1890 | #230 | 112 | 0.0588% |
| 1889 | #213 | 117 | 0.0656% |
| 1888 | #221 | 109 | 0.0610% |
| 1887 | #211 | 95 | 0.0651% |
| 1886 | #246 | 71 | 0.0491% |
| 1885 | #281 | 50 | 0.0376% |
| 1884 | #240 | 63 | 0.0488% |
| 1883 | #262 | 48 | 0.0427% |
| 1882 | #252 | 47 | 0.0436% |
| 1881 | #273 | 35 | 0.0381% |
| 1880 | #298 | 28 | 0.0308% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | #4,342 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #3,669 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #3,892 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,495 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1945 | #3,488 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1944 | #2,716 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #2,790 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1941 | #3,281 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1940 | #2,551 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1939 | #3,251 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1938 | #2,545 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1937 | #2,565 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #3,741 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #2,168 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1933 | #2,614 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1932 | #3,519 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1931 | #2,733 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1930 | #2,858 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1929 | #2,248 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1928 | #2,315 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1927 | #3,935 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #2,019 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1925 | #2,823 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1924 | #3,348 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1923 | #3,044 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1922 | #2,546 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1921 | #3,318 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1920 | #2,169 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1919 | #2,961 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1918 | #2,963 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1917 | #2,028 | 15 | 0.0016% |
| 1916 | #2,440 | 11 | 0.0012% |
| 1915 | #2,363 | 11 | 0.0013% |
| 1913 | #2,353 | 7 | 0.0014% |
| 1912 | #2,679 | 5 | 0.0012% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Geneva Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Geneva's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Geneva's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.