The first name Geneva
A girl’s name meaning “knee”.
Pronounced /d͡ʒəˈniːvə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Geneva means “knee”.
Mentioned in Latin texts as Genava. Probably via a Proto-Celtic *genwā from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénw-eh₂ (“knee”), a derivative of *ǵónu in the sense of a bending river or estuary, possibly akin to Genoa.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 girls were named Geneva, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 12 births (#1,434).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Geneva with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Geneva at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 125 girls born in the United States were named Geneva, the 1,657th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1924, when 2,582 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.
Geneva in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Geneva in Romanian too.
Famous people named Geneva
2 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Geneva MitchellAmerican actress (1907-1949)
- Gene Stratton-PorterAmerican writer and naturalist (1863–1924)
Questions
- What does the name Geneva mean?
- Geneva means “knee”.
- How popular is the name Geneva?
- In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Geneva, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 1996, with 12 births.
- Is Geneva a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 89,067 US babies named Geneva since 1880 were girls.
- When was Geneva most popular?
- 1924 in the United States, when 2,582 babies were named Geneva, its highest rank at 110th.
- How do you pronounce Geneva?
- Geneva is /d͡ʒəˈniːvə/, 3 syllables.