The first name Eugene
A boy’s name from Greek meaning “well born”, “good”, “well”.
Pronounced /juˈd͡ʒin/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Eugene means “well born”, “good”, “well” in Greek.
Borrowed from French Eugène, from Latin Eugenius, from Ancient Greek Εὐγένιος (Eugénios, “well born”), from εὖ (eû, “good, well”) + -γενής (-genḗs, “born a certain way”). Parallel to eugenics. Doublet of Yevgeny, Eugenius, and Owen.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 boys were named Eugene, making it the 2,952nd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2004, with 29 births (#760).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Eugene with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Eugene at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 249 boys born in the United States were named Eugene, the 943rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1927, when 9,742 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Eugene in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Eugene
388 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Eugène DelacroixFrench painter (1798–1863)
- Eugene O'NeillAmerican playwright (1888–1953)
- Eugène Viollet-le-DucFrench architect (1814-1879)
- Eugène PottierFrench politician (1816-1887)
- Eugène Louis BoudinFrench painter (1824-1898)
- Eugene FamaAmerican economist and Nobel laureate in Economics, born 1939
- Eugene Merle ShoemakerAmerican geologist and astronomer, 1928–1997
- Eugène SueFrench writer (1804-1857)
- Eugene V. DebsAmerican labor and political leader (1855–1926)
- Eugène de BeauharnaisFrench statesman and military officer (1781–1824)
- Eugène François VidocqFrench criminal and criminalist, 1775–1857
- Eugène ScribeFrench dramatist and librettist (1791-1861)
More Greek boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Eugene mean?
- Eugene means “well born”, “good”, “well” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Eugene?
- Borrowed from French Eugène, from Latin Eugenius, from Ancient Greek Εὐγένιος (Eugénios, “well born”), from εὖ (eû, “good, well”) + -γενής (-genḗs, “born a certain way”). Parallel to eugenics. Doublet of Yevgeny, Eugenius, and Owen.
- How popular is the name Eugene?
- In 2025, 7 boys born in England and Wales were named Eugene, ranking 2,952nd. Its peak was 2004, with 29 births.
- What are nicknames for Eugene?
- Common nicknames for Eugene include Gene, Genie.
- Is Eugene a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 383,340 US babies named Eugene since 1880 were boys.
- When was Eugene most popular?
- 1927 in the United States, when 9,742 babies were named Eugene, its highest rank at 20th.
- How do you pronounce Eugene?
- Eugene is /juˈd͡ʒin/, 2 syllables.
- Is Eugene also a surname?
- Yes. Eugene is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.