Gene

Gene: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “well-born”
Origin: Greek
Say it: JEEN · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys (95% of all uses)

In English, Gene is commonly a short form of Eugene, from Greek eugenes 'well-born, noble'. It is also used as a short form of names like Eugene or Genevieve.

English names French names Names meaning noble Short names Classic names

How popular is Gene?

202426.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Gene in 202488

2024 rank#1,900 boys

Peak year1937

Total US babies since 1880133,809

Gene is steady now but far below its 1937 peak.

Names like Gene

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Eugenewell-born, noble · Greek
Eugeniawell-born; noble · Greek
Theodoregift of God · Greek
Sebastianfrom Sebaste · Greek
Alexanderdefender of men · Greek
Lukefrom Lucania · Greek
Christopherbearer of Christ · Greek
Andrewmanly, brave · Greek

Gene questions

What does the name Gene mean?

Gene means "well-born". It comes from Greek. In English, Gene is commonly a short form of Eugene, from Greek eugenes 'well-born, noble'. It is also used as a short form of names like Eugene or Genevieve.

Is Gene a boy or girl name?

Gene is mainly a boy's name in US records (95% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Gene?

88 US babies were named Gene in 2024. Its peak year was 1937.

How do you pronounce Gene?

Gene is usually pronounced JEEN.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.