Given name & surname
Ginger
“a lively woman; resembling the spice”
Ginger is used as a given name, a surname, and a nickname. One English interpretation is “a lively woman; resembling the spice.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “a lively woman; resembling the spice.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
Ginger is an affectionate form of Virginia. In English usage, Ginger is a diminutive of Virginia.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ginger through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 46,260
- 42 boys · 46,218 girls
- Most popular year
- 1971
- 1,670 babies
- 2025
- 47
- #3,308 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 47 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,308 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 17.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,670 in 1971. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 37,956 as a first name in 2020; 1,202 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.
Ginger’s family of names
Ginger is an affectionate form of Virginia. Ginger has a related form in Gingea. In English usage, Ginger has a diminutive in GING.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Virginiafull form · English
- Gingdiminutive · English
- Ginngerlikely variant
- Ginggerlikely variant
- Gingivariant
- Gingeyvariant
- Gingyvariant
- Gingeavariant
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ginger
- Ginger RogersAmerican actress and dancer (1911–1995)
- Ginger BakerBritish drummer (1939–2019)
- Ginger FishAmerican drummerborn 1965
- Ginger GonzagaAmerican comedian and actressborn 1984
- Ginger PooleyAmerican rock musician (born 1977)
- Ginger Helgeson-NielsenAmerican tennis playerborn 1968
- Ginger Aldenfiancée of Elvis Presley at the time of his deathborn 1956
- Ginger HuberAmerican diverborn 1974
- Ginger ZeeAmerican meteorologist and television personalityborn 1981
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ginger, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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