Eugene
Eugene is a common masculine given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (eugenēs), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (eu), "well" and γένος (genos), "race, stock, kin". Gene is a common shortened form. The feminine variant is Eugenia or Eugenie.
- English
- French
Meaning & Origin of Eugene
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Eugene is a common masculine given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (eugenēs), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (eu), "well" and γένος (genos), "race, stock, kin". Gene is a common shortened form. The feminine variant is Eugenia or Eugenie.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- French
The Story of Eugene
The earliest SSA record of Eugene as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 328 babies received it. 1927 was its biggest year on record, with 9,742 newborns named Eugene — #20 in the national rankings. About 22% of every Eugene on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Eugene ranks #898 for baby boys with 263 births, gradually falling (-5%). All told, over 381K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Eugene
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Eugene. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Eugene
Phonetically similar names — useful when Eugene is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Eugene
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About the name Eugene
Eugene is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 381K births in the dataset. Eugene's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #20. Use the chart and map above to compare Eugene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1927 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.