Gena is a unique and distinctive female given name of Hebrew origin. It is derived from the Hebrew word "gene", which means "woman". The name has been used in various cultures throughout history, but it remains relatively uncommon compared to many other names.
The earliest known occurrence of the name Gena can be traced back to ancient Israelite culture, where it was likely given to girls as a symbol of their feminine strength and grace. In the Bible, there is a mention of a woman named Gene (a variant spelling of Gena) who was the mother of one of King David's warriors.
Throughout the centuries, the name Gena has been adopted by various cultures around the world. In Russia, for example, it is often used as a diminutive form of the name Yevgeniya, which means "well-born" or "good-bred". In some cases, it may also be used as a short form of other Hebrew names such as Genevieve or Geneva.
While the meaning and origin of Gena are well-documented, there is no widely accepted association between the name and any specific feast days or traits of character. Instead, the name's significance lies primarily in its biblical roots and its universal symbolism of femininity.
"From the late 19th to early 21st century, Gena saw significant fluctuations in popularity, with a peak of 537 births in 1964 and a low of just 5 births in 2021. The name's heyday was clearly from the mid-1950s to late-1960s, before declining gradually over subsequent decades."