Gene

Did you know?

A few things about Gene you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Gene

Gene Kelly

American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer (1912–1996)

Choose Gene and your child shares a first name with Gene Kelly, an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Gene, like who?” Gene Kelly's Wikipedia article is available in 85 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Gene Kelly on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 27,100 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Gene, 63 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Gene would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryGene has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Genes, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1937, when it ranked #61. Today it's #2,230, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendGene has slipped 575 places over the last five years and now sits at #2,230. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 💬MeaningGene is an English form of Eugene, which means “wellborn”. Our records link it to English and Greek roots.

About the name Gene

Gene is a boy name of English and Greek origin meaning “wellborn”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with G and ending in “-ene”. US birth records list Gene for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked #61 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,230, with 63 babies.

Origin:English namesGreek names