Gene
A short form of Eugene, Greek for “well-born.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Gene appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1926 to 1946. Its biggest year was 1937, when 3,165 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 61 nationally. The name has also seen real use for girls: 6,997 of the 133,874 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Gean (1,234) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Eugene
Explore Gene interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 129 | No. 377 |
| 1890s | 219 | No. 347 |
| 1900s | 554 | No. 238 |
| 1910s | 3,870 | No. 191 |
| 1920s | 17,579 | No. 62 |
| 1930s | 29,313 | No. 61 |
| 1940s | 27,739 | No. 70 |
| 1950s | 19,694 | No. 122 |
| 1960s | 13,701 | No. 174 |
| 1970s | 6,233 | No. 250 |
| 1980s | 3,621 | No. 380 |
| 1990s | 2,058 | No. 580 |
| 2000s | 999 | No. 1100 |
| 2010s | 695 | No. 1746 |
| 2020s | 473 | No. 1655 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.