How to say it
GEN · e · vieve
/ˈdʒɛn.ə.vi:v/
Feminine
Genevieve
Tribe woman
What it means
From the Germanic Genovefa, possibly 'tribe woman' or 'of noble birth.' Saint Geneviève of Paris (5th century) is the patroness of Paris, credited with saving the city from Attila the Hun by prayer.
Genevieve comes through French from the Germanic Genovefa (ultimate root uncertain — proposed glosses include 'tribe woman,' 'of noble birth,' or 'woman of the race'). Saint Geneviève of Paris (c. 419-512) is the patroness of Paris; she's traditionally credited with saving the city from Attila the Hun in 451 by leading the citizens in prayer and fasting. Her tomb is in the Panthéon. The English Genevieve has been steady but never explosive; it surged modestly in the 2010s with the broader French-vintage revival. Common shorts: Gen, Genny, Eve, Evie, Vivi.
Popularity over time
peaked at #76 in 1914, currently #148 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
JEN-uh-veev, three syllables (some families say four with a stronger middle vowel). The French Geneviève is closer to zhe-ne-VYEV.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Saint Geneviève of Paris 5th-century patroness of Paris, credited with saving the city from Attila the Hun
Spelling variants
- Geneviève
- Genoveva
- Genevra
Names with the same feeling
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