Genevieve

Around the start of the Middle Ages, Paris had a female savior who kept Attila the Hun away. She served as the ultimate namesake for several women in France (and beyond) throughout the ages. 

The story of St. Genevieve may be clear, but the name's origin is not so. It either hails from Germanic or Gaulish (Celtic) roots; in Germanic, the name means "women's clan" and, in Gaulish, "worthy clan." Either way, Genevieve entered common usage in medieval France. There was also Genevieve of Brabant of medieval legend, who got falsely accused for infidelity and exiled to a cave with her son only to be saved by her husband; that could have helped the name's ongoing popularity. 

In the English-speaking world, Genevieve first experienced occasional use in Britain between the 1100s and 1300s, often shortened to Geva. It did not enter regular usage again until the eighteenth century. Genevieve became more common during the Victorian era, but it was never overly common in Britain.

However, Genevieve has a different story in the United States, where it ranked in the top 1000 every year since 1880. Genevieve was first in the top 200 most years between 1881 and 1935, ranking in the top 100 from 1909 to 1923. Since hitting its low point in the low 600s in 1968, Genevieve has slowly rebounded. Even though it has been back in the top 200 since 2015, it does not seem headed towards the top 100. 

Genevieve almost has the ingredients to be a top 100 name: a distinct sound, several nickname options, old-fashioned charm, and a timeless yet quirky quality. Its "Gen" sound (reminiscent of Jennifer/Jen) could be holding it back, but it's not keeping Genesis out of the top 100. 

Regardless, Genevieve serves as a "sweet-spot" name for parents torn between the classic and quirky, popular and rare, and (since its pronunciation is widely known) foreign and English. 

NICKNAMES:

Gen, Genny, Vivi

VARIANTS:

Genoveffa, Genoveva, Ginette

STYLES:

Elegant, French, Neutral, Saintly, Vintage

SISTERS:

Beatrice, Cecilia, Eloise, Felicity, Juliette, Lucille, Margot, Penelope, Rosalie, Veronica

BROTHERS:

Alistair, Benedict, Dominic, Gideon, Leonardo, Maximilian, Raphael, Thaddeus, Vincent, Xavier

ALTERNATIVES:

Annalise, Bernadette, Geneva, Georgina, Guinevere, Gwendolyn, Henriette, Imogene, Leonie, Magdalene

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Genevieve." Names, Behind the Name, 28 Feb. 2019, https://www.behindthename.com/name/genevieve.

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Genevieve." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 29 Jul. 2012, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2012/07/genevieve.html. 

What do you think about Genevieve?