Gene

Last seen for girls in 2024 at #15,293 · #2,230 for boys in 2025, 63 births
Given to boys 94.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1937 · 3,165 births
Debut · boys
7 births
In top 100 · boys
21 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
126,877
since 1880

Gene over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201917peak #352, 1925peak #61, 1937girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#2,23063
2024#15,2935#1,90283
2023—#1,99976
2022—#2,03974
2021—#1,88481
2020—#1,65596
2019#13,7996#1,86880
2018#12,4647#2,16764
2017—#1,74688
2016—#1,87579
2015#11,8358#2,08667
2014—#2,40253
2013—#2,02167
2012—#1,98371
2011#16,7645#2,14561
2010—#2,06965
2009—#1,82581
2008—#1,83879
2007—#1,74185
2006—#1,55195
2005#14,5026#1,52593
2004#16,0995#1,343109
2003#15,7845#1,310106
2002—#1,33299
2001#15,3525#1,100129
2000—#1,128123
1999—#922160
1998#11,1387#1,005136
1997#13,7245#859164
1996#11,8076#838170
1995#8,7669#809174
1994—#722209
1993#8,05210#696221
1992#11,7386#651252
1991#9,3368#580305
1990#7,88010#617267
1989#10,8476#569291
1988#5,89513#523303
1987#8,7787#494324
1986#7,1349#481328
1985#8,3187#464344
1984#6,8109#432375
1983#5,45712#423374
1982#5,91111#409413
1981#4,00519#398418
1980#5,54412#380451
1979#5,75111#361488
1978#5,95810#361453
1977#4,94213#342523
1976#4,36314#355464
1975#3,77417#322556
1974#3,69517#316570
1973#4,15514#291625
1972#2,82024#264742
1971#2,80125#253878
1970#2,70526#250934
1969#4,19812#2251,038
1968#2,16431#2161,072
1967#2,49224#2091,068
1966#3,74012#2051,145
1965#2,68421#1931,307
1964#2,34827#1801,530
1963#2,70421#1911,564
1962#2,11331#2011,514
1961#2,60822#1861,667
1960#1,95334#1741,796
1959#1,85236#1631,934
1958#1,55747#1681,815
1957#1,78437#1691,839
1956#1,53348#1701,754
1955#1,30959#1521,892
1954#1,24963#1511,900
1953#1,22562#1432,006
1952#1,21661#1382,073
1951#1,07874#1262,231
1950#1,02679#1222,250
1949#90995#1192,444
1948#91490#1112,542
1947#820114#1032,894
1946#686135#982,759
1945#722106#1002,373
1944#732107#952,602
1943#768102#892,865
1942#668126#823,127
1941#82177#723,073
1940#93559#703,060
1939#81871#693,014
1938#81175#653,149
1937#78875#613,165
1936#78574#662,909
1935#82369#662,937
1934#74680#672,854
1933#69887#662,780
1932#606117#642,952
1931#600122#642,766
1930#521168#702,787
1929#534161#682,810
1928#462223#623,088
1927#437246#722,802
1926#408278#912,083
1925#352374#1121,579
1924#436257#1351,275
1923#466217#1401,170
1922#468214#1431,089
1921#523183#169873
1920#477204#173810
1919#543160#191676
1918#583151#192662
1917#500174#207542
1916#619119#212517
1915#533140#212493
1914#532109#226352
1913#58776#237248
1912#67854#256187
1911#64145#254102
1910#75332#25391
1909#62439#24481
1908#88220#23878
1907#76024#26065
1906#73125#24963
1905#73424#30344
1904#72723#24958
1903#57432#27845
1902#66725#29941
1901#65923#31831
1900#70526#30148
1899#83515#39422
1898#76819#39425
1897#98211#43819
1896#72819#35729
1895#85814#34728
1894#1,1368#43919
1893#86512#38322
1892#76215#39423
1891#66916#45615
1890#82511#43417
1889#9029#58111
1888#75312#58012
1887#9377#37719
1886—#51213
1885#1,0475#39920
1884—#57011
1883—#59710
1882#7407#48914
1881—#50312
1880—#7457
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Gene was already there! It came in at #745, and was given to 7 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880, when fewer than 8 boys a year got the name.

Where Gene is popular in 1917

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedNHWashington: #115 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 588 boysWAIdaho: #124 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 491 boysIDMontana: #98 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 491 boysMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #191 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,351 boysMNIllinois: #149 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 1,042 boysILWisconsin: #180 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,301 boysWIMichigan: #228 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,957 boysMINew York: #251 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 3,149 boysNYMassachusetts: #317 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,064 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #181 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,070 boysSDIowa: #172 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,156 boysIAIndiana: #114 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 728 boysINOhio: #148 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 1,212 boysOHPennsylvania: #214 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 2,772 boysPANew Jersey: #254 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,348 boysNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #115 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 706 boysCAUtah: #145 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 577 boysUTColorado: #142 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 746 boysCONebraska: #168 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 983 boysNEMissouri: #128 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 815 boysMOKentucky: #258 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,211 boysKYWest Virginia: #209 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,505 boysWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedNMKansas: #107 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 527 boysKSArkansas: #284 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,856 boysARTennessee: #273 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,206 boysTNNorth Carolina: #351 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 3,305 boysNCSouth Carolina: #275 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,413 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #141 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 693 boysOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedMSAlabama: #267 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,024 boysALGeorgia: #254 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,014 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedHITexas: #260 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,524 boysTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Gene, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Montana#98 · 1 in 491
  2. Kansas#107 · 1 in 527
  3. Indiana#114 · 1 in 728
  4. Washington#115 · 1 in 588
  5. California#115 · 1 in 706

Best ever in a state: #15 in Idaho, 1927.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Montana#98111 in 491
Kansas#107261 in 527
Indiana#114291 in 728
California#115271 in 706
Washington#115131 in 588
Idaho#12471 in 491
Missouri#128301 in 815
Oklahoma#141241 in 693
Colorado#14291 in 746
Utah#14571 in 577
Ohio#148361 in 1,212
Illinois#149481 in 1,042
Nebraska#168111 in 983
Iowa#172161 in 1,156
Wisconsin#180161 in 1,301
South Dakota#18151 in 1,070
Minnesota#191141 in 1,351
West Virginia#20981 in 1,505
Pennsylvania#214281 in 2,772
Michigan#228151 in 1,957
New York#251271 in 3,149
Georgia#254131 in 2,014
New Jersey#25461 in 4,348
Kentucky#25891 in 2,211
Texas#260261 in 1,524
Alabama#267101 in 2,024
Tennessee#27391 in 2,206
South Carolina#27571 in 2,413
Arkansas#28481 in 1,856
Massachusetts#31761 in 5,064
North Carolina#35181 in 3,305
Alaska———
Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Hawaii———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Mississippi———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Gene
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 328 spots since 2024 (#1,902 → #2,230)
  • 575 spots since 2020 (#1,655 → #2,230)
  • 144 spots since 2015 (#2,086 → #2,230)
  • Biggest jump: 242 spots in 1881 (#745 → #503)
  • Biggest drop: 206 spots in 2000 (#922 → #1,128)
Rise & fade · boys
57 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1937 at #61 (3,165 births)
  • Births halved by 1962, 25 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 21 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 21 yrs · run 1926–1946
  • Top 1,000: 119 yrs · run 1880–1997
Share of babies · boys
1 in 337
  • Highest: 1 in 337 boys born in 1937 were named Gene (0.30%)
  • Latest: 1 in 27,112 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1930s
  • 23.1% of all boys named Gene (29,313) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 1892
  • Mostly girls until 1891, mostly boys since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s129#377 (1887)#535
1890s219#347 (1895)#404
1900s554#238 (1908)#274
1910s3,870#191 (1919)#224
1920s17,579#62 (1928)#117
1930s29,313#61 (1937)#66
1940s27,739#70 (1940)#94
1950s19,694#122 (1950)#150
1960s13,701#174 (1960)#198
1970s6,233#250 (1970)#312
1980s3,621#380 (1980)#457
1990s2,058#580 (1991)#770
2000s999#1,100 (2001)#1,469
2010s695#1,746 (2017)#2,036
2020s473#1,655 (2020)#1,952

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Gene in 1917

girls
#500
174 births · 1 in 6,214 girls
boys
#207
542 births · 1 in 1,708 boys

Top girls' names in 1917

  1. #1Mary64,280
  2. #2Helen34,251
  3. #3Dorothy28,852
  4. #4Margaret25,560
  5. #5Ruth23,568
  6. #6Mildred16,256
  7. #7Anna15,160
  8. #8Elizabeth15,131
  9. #9Frances14,363
  10. #10Virginia14,261
  11. #500Gene174

Top boys' names in 1917

  1. #1John51,852
  2. #2William42,422
  3. #3James37,337
  4. #4Robert35,220
  5. #5Joseph24,761
  6. #6George24,196
  7. #7Charles24,143
  8. #8Edward17,501
  9. #9Frank15,768
  10. #10Thomas12,611
  11. #207Gene542
More about 1917

girls

1,081,267 girls got a published name in 1917; 1 in 6,214 of them was named Gene, which outranked 90.6% of the 5,310 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gene
  1. #494Nelda177
  2. #498Ester175
  3. #498Jayne175
  4. #500Gene174
  5. #500Alfreda174
  6. #502Aurelia173
  7. #502Corrine173
  8. #502Elna173

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
  1. ↑ 549Georgene#1,445 → #896
  2. ↑ 380Ottie#1,332 → #952
  3. ↑ 365Louis#1,298 → #933
  4. ↑ 334Valentine#1,298 → #964
  5. ↑ 322Harold#1,210 → #888
Fallers
  1. ↓ 401Ceola#840 → #1,241
  2. ↓ 373Floretta#964 → #1,337
  3. ↓ 344Buelah#993 → #1,337
  4. ↓ 326Glennie#915 → #1,241
  5. ↓ 290Maye#915 → #1,205

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

925,482 boys got a published name in 1917; 1 in 1,708 of them was named Gene, which outranked 95.5% of the 4,602 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gene
  1. #204Johnie552
  2. #205Lowell551
  3. #206Malcolm544
  4. #207Gene542
  5. #207Emmett542
  6. #209Grover540
  7. #210Bert533
  8. #211Johnny530

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
  1. ↑ 520Nicolas#1,304 → #784
  2. ↑ 469Hezekiah#1,415 → #946
  3. ↑ 433Hilliard#1,415 → #982
  4. ↑ 404Rayford#1,304 → #900
  5. ↑ 338Minoru#1,335 → #997
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,738Tatsuo#824 → #2,562
  2. ↓ 709Berlin#984 → #1,693
  3. ↓ 556Prentice#972 → #1,528
  4. ↓ 473Manning#964 → #1,437
  5. ↓ 457Lovell#939 → #1,396

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1917 →