Given name
Gardenia
“resembling the sweetsmelling flower”
Gardenia is used as a given name. One English interpretation is “resembling the sweetsmelling flower.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “resembling the sweetsmelling flower.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1917. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gardenia through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,354
- 0 boys · 1,354 girls
- Most popular year
- 1992
- 70 babies
- 2025
- 7
- #12,337 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +24%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 12,337 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 70 in 1992. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,253 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gardenia’s family of names
Gardenia has a related form in Gardeena. Gardenia has a related form in Gardena. Gardenia has a related form in Gardenea.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Gardeenavariant
- Gardynavariant
- Gardenavariant
- Gardyneavariant
- Gardyniavariant
- Gardeniyavariant
- Gardeneahvariant
- Gardeneavariant
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Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Gardenia, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Halley
“from the hall near the meadow”
>99% girls
Raven
Raven is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “resembling the black bird; a dark and mysterious beauty” (English) and “resembling the blackbird; a dark and mysterious man” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
5% boys · 95% girls
Star
“a celestial body” · “a celestial body; as bright as a star”
4% boys · 96% girls
Diamond
Diamond is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “a highly valued man; resembling the gem; a bright protector.”
19% boys · 81% girls
Whitley
“from the white meadow”
15% boys · 85% girls
Autumn
“born in the fall”
>99% girls
Coral
Coral is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “resembling the semiprecious sea growth; from the reef.”
>99% girls
Summer
“refers to the season; born in summer”
>99% girls