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At a Glance: Name: Genevieve – Meaning: woman of the tribe/kin – Origin: French – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: JEN-eh-veev
Genevieve is a French name meaning "woman of the tribe/kin," pronounced JEN-eh-veev (IPA /ˈdʒɛnəviːv/). You might have heard it translated as "white wave," but that's not quite right — the name's actual roots, whether traced to Germanic "kin/tribe woman" or Celtic "woman of the family/clan," point instead to a sense of "woman of the people."
Meaning & Origin of Genevieve
Meaning: Woman of the tribe/kin.
Origin: French.
A common claim: Genevieve is popularly translated as 'white wave.' Actually: Genevieve isn't actually 'white wave' — both scholarly roots proposed (Germanic 'kin/tribe woman' or Celtic 'woman of the family/clan') point to a 'woman of the people' sense instead.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Genevieve
Phonetic: JEN-eh-veev IPA: /ˈdʒɛnəviːv/
Popularity of Genevieve
Genevieve hit its highest popularity back in 1914, ranking #76 with 2,254 babies given the name that year. By 2024 it stood at #165 with 1,835 babies, a name the SSA has tracked steadily from 1880 through 2024.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
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Free printable nursery art for Genevieve, 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 Genevieve mean?
Woman of the tribe/kin. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Genevieve)
How do you pronounce Genevieve?
Genevieve is pronounced JEN-eh-veev (IPA: /ˈdʒɛnəviːv/).
Is Genevieve a popular name right now?
Genevieve peaked at #76 in 1914 and is ranked #165 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
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