Given name & surname
Geneva
“of the juniper tree”
Geneva is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “of the juniper tree.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “of the juniper tree.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is French, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
From Proto-Celtic *genwā, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénw-eh₂ (“knee”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Geneva through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 89,067
- 309 boys · 88,758 girls
- Most popular year
- 1924
- 2,590 babies
- 2025
- 125
- #1,657 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −20%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 125 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,657 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 19.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 2,582 in 1924. In 2025, Florida and Ohio and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 27,609 as a first name in 2020; 241 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Geneva’s family of names
Geneva has a related form in Gena. Geneva has a related form in Genoveva. Geneva has a related form in Genevia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Ginebravariant
- Genovevavariant
- Genavariant
- Genevravariant
- Geneviavariant
- Genevervariant
- Gennevalikely variant
- Ginevrevariant
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Geneva
- Gene Stratton-PorterAmerican writer and naturalist (1863–1924)
- Geneva MitchellAmerican actress (1907-1949)1905–1949
- Geneva CruzFilipino actress and singer (born 1976)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Geneva, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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