Genevieve
Meaning of Genevieve
Genevieve is the English form of the French Geneviève, which developed from the medieval name Genovefa. Its roots are uncertain: it may come from Germanic words for kin and woman, or from Gaulish, an ancient Celtic language. It is pronounced JEN-uh-veev in English and zhahn-vyehv in French.
Saint Genevieve, the fifth-century patron saint of Paris, is said to have urged the city's people to pray rather than flee when Attila the Hun approached. Well-known bearers include Canadian actress Geneviève Bujold, Oscar-nominated for playing Anne Boleyn, and Nigerian actress and director Genevieve Nnaji.
In the United States, Genevieve reached its highest rank, 76th, in 1914, 1915 and 1916. It fell as low as 691st in 1968 but has climbed strongly since the early 2000s, reaching 148th in 2025, when 1,981 babies were given the name.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as JEN-uh-veev (/dʒənəˈvi:v/)
French
- Pronunced as zhahn-vyehv (/ʒã.vjɛv/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Genevieve
| Genevieve Bell is an Australian cultural anthropologist and technology leader, a user experience pioneer who led 3Ai and the ANU School of Cybernetics, served as ANU Vice Chancellor, and holds 13 patents. |
| Genevieve Nnaji is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director, the first AMAA Best Actress winner, an MFR honoree, and the director of Lionheart, Nigeria's first Netflix film and first Oscar submission. |
| Genevieve O'Reilly is an Irish actress known for her portrayal of Mon Mothma in the Star Wars franchise and her voice role as Moira in Overwatch. |
| Genevieve Gorder is an American TV host and interior designer best known for Trading Spaces, hosting shows on HGTV, Netflix, and Bravo, and judging HGTV's Design Star. |
| Genevieve Schatz, known as Genevieve, is an American indie pop singer from Illinois who fronted Company of Thieves and began a solo career in 2014, releasing the EP Show Your Colors in 2015. |
| Genevieve Joyce Waite was a South African actress, singer, and model best known for the 1968 film Joanna, her 1974 album Romance Is on the Rise produced by husband John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas, and co-writing and starring in the 1975 Broadway musical Man on the Moon. |
| Genevieve Hecker was an American amateur golfer and Apawamis Club member who won the New York City Metropolitan Golf Championship four times between 1900 and 1906. |
| Geneviève Bujold - Genevieve Bujold is a Canadian actress best known for her Academy Award nominated role as Anne Boleyn in Anne of the Thousand Days and for films like Coma and Dead Ringers. |
| Geneviève Page - Genevieve Bonjean, known as Genevieve Page, was a French actress whose five-decade career included many English-language films and who was the daughter of art collector Jacques Paul Bonjean. |
| Geneviève Ward - Lucy Genevieve Teresa Ward was an American-born soprano and actress based in the United Kingdom who was appointed Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on her 84th birthday in 1921. |
