Ginger
Ginger is an English given name, nickname, and surname. As a diminutive of Virginia, the female variants of the name are Gingee, Gingie, Ginjer, Jinger, Gingerline.
Meaning & Origin of Ginger
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ginger is an English given name, nickname, and surname. As a diminutive of Virginia, the female variants of the name are Gingee, Gingie, Ginjer, Jinger, Gingerline.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ginger
Ginger first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1913, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1971, when 1,670 Gingers were born — ranking #187 that year. As of 2026, Ginger ranks #3,450 for baby girls with 45 births, falling sharply (-15%). In total, more than 46K Gingers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Ginger
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ginger Costa-Jackson (born 1986), American opera singer
- Ginger Gilmour (born 1949), American artist, former wife of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, born Virginia Hasenbein
- Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen (born 1968), American tennis player
- Ginger Huber , American diver, high diving silver medalist in the 2013 World Aquatics Championships
- Ginger Lynn (born 1962), American pornographic actress
- Ginger Molloy (born 1937), former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from New Zealand
- Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c. 1937–2002), Australian Aboriginal artist
- Ginger Pooley (born 1977), rock musician and singer formerly with The Smashing Pumpkins
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ginger
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ginger 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 Ginger
What does the name Ginger mean?
How popular is Ginger in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Ginger most popular?
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About the name Ginger
Ginger is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 46K births in the dataset. Ginger's peak popularity came in 1971 when it ranked #187. Use the chart and map above to compare Ginger's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1971 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all girl 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.