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At a Glance: Name: Ginevra – Meaning: white phantom, or 'fair one' (from Welsh Gwenhwyfar) – Origin: Italian, from Welsh via Norman French (Guinevere) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: jih-NEV-rah
Ginevra is the Italian form of Guinevere, a romantic, storybook name with a worldly, vintage feel. It traces back through Norman French to the Welsh Gwenhwyfar and means 'white phantom' or 'fair one.' You may hear that it means 'white shadow' or comes from the juniper tree, but the juniper link is just a folk pun on the similar-sounding Italian word ginepro, not the real etymology. Say it jih-NEV-rah.
Meaning & Origin of Ginevra
Meaning: White phantom, or 'fair one' (from Welsh Gwenhwyfar).
Origin: Italian, from Welsh via Norman French (Guinevere).
A common claim: Ginevra means 'white shadow' or comes from the juniper tree Actually: The juniper link is a folk pun on the similar Italian sound (ginepro), not the actual etymology — Ginevra really derives from Welsh Gwenhwyfar ('white/fair' plus a disputed second element).
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Ginevra
Phonetic: jih-NEV-rah IPA: /dʒɪˈnɛvrə/
Popularity of Ginevra
Ginevra is a rare name in the U.S. It peaked at #3390 in 1913 with just 5 babies, and in 2024 it ranked #5183 with 25 babies, so it has actually drawn more families lately than it did a century ago.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1913–2024.
Make Ginevra Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Ginevra, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Ginevra mean?
White phantom, or ‘fair one’ (from Welsh Gwenhwyfar). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ginevra)
How do you pronounce Ginevra?
Ginevra is pronounced jih-NEV-rah (IPA: /dʒɪˈnɛvrə/).
Is Ginevra a popular name right now?
Ginevra peaked at #3390 in 1913 and is ranked #5183 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1913–2024.)
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