Genevieve is a classic and elegant feminine given name of French origin, derived from the Latin 'Genovefa', which is itself derived from 'Gennōfēva'. The name is composed of two elements: 'genos' meaning 'birth, family' and 'fe' meaning 'faith'. Thus, Genevieve translates to 'tribe (or family) of faith'. This name gained popularity through a French saint, Saint Geneviève, who lived in the 5th century and was revered for her role in protecting Paris during an attack by Attila the Hun. The name has been widely used throughout Europe since the Middle Ages and has several variations including Jennifer, Jenny, Gina, and Jenna. In English-speaking countries, it is often spelled as Genevieve or Genevia.
The name Geneve has seen varied popularity over the past century and a half, with notable fluctuations in its usage. The highest birth years were during World War I (1916-1919), peaking at 20 births in 1921, which is almost three times the average number of births recorded throughout this period. However, since the late 1980s, Geneve has become significantly less common, with only five years (1997-2021) recording more than five births each year. The total number of births registered as Geneve over these years is 494.