Given name
Geneviève
“to beget”
Geneviève is a feminine given name from Medieval Latin, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European. It is used in French.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Geneviève goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁-, meaning “to beget.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Celtic.
How it developed
From Medieval Latin Genovefa, from Proto-Celtic *Genogʷībā, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget”), built from Proto-Germanic *kunją (“kin, family”) + *wībą (“woman, wife”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Geneviève’s family of names
In French usage, Geneviève has a diminutive in Ginette. Geneviève shares a linguistic root with Genevieve. In French usage, Geneviève has a conventional equivalent in the German form Jennifer.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Geneviève has relatives in 18 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Celtic roots to each of them.
18 related names in 18 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 18
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Geneviève
- Geneviève BujoldCanadian actress (born 1942)
- Geneviève PageFrench actress (1927–2025)
- Alison MoyetBritish singerborn 1961
- Geneviève GradFrench actress, singer, antique and cultural event manager (1944–2024)
- Geneviève Thiroux d'ArconvilleFrench scientist1720–1805
- Geneviève de Gaulle-AnthoniozFrench resistance member (1920-2002)
- Genevieve WaiteSouth African singer and actress1948–2019
- Geneviève LalondeCanadian middle- and long-distance runnerborn 1991
- Geneviève HalévyFrench salon holder1849–1926
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Geneviève, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“son of the servant of (saint) Faolán”
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“son of the servant of (Saint) Cathbhadh”
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“son of the servant of (Saint) Brigit”
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Duthie
“son of the servant of (Saint) Dubhthach”
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Mulvihill
“descendant of the servant of (Saint) Michael”
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Mcelheny
“son of the servant of (saint) Coinneach”
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Logue
“descendant of the servant of (Saint) Maodhóg”
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Mcelhiney
“son of the servant of (saint) Coinneach”
—