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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Ginevra, Genevieve

41 replies

Petcarb · 10/05/2022 04:48

Opinions please. Not mad about Ginny/Gin nickname but don't really mind Gen. I understand Ginevra is Italian for Geneva, is it akin to naming your baby "Paris" or something? But it seems a v popular name there. And is there too much Harry Potter association? (I didn't even know until I googled it was the long form for Ginny Weasley.)

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Hobbesmanc · 07/01/2024 07:58

Genista is pretty and unusual. It's supposed to be the basis of the English royal dynasty, the Plantagenists. After the golden broom bush.

ChocolateCinderToffee · 07/01/2024 02:27

Genista is the Latin name for broom as in bushes. I think it’s lovely!

Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter · 06/01/2024 23:47

I don't really like either but Ginevra/Ginerva definitely sound like some sort of brand name - medical perhaps.

moonshinepoursthroughmywindow · 06/01/2024 23:27

I always thought the French pronunciation of Genevieve was "je-ne-vee-ev" (like je ne sais quoi). I probably wouldn't use it for that reason - that there are at least two "accepted" ways of pronouncing it and then a few more that some people use. I don't dislike Ginevra, although it's not quite my style, and I definitely prefer it to Genevieve just because it's easier to pronounce! Is it also an old word for gin (the drink)?

Thelondonone · 30/12/2023 12:00

Is Ginevra pronounced gin-evra? If so then it’s a no from me. Genevieve is OK but I do like Guinevere too.

peaceinourtime · 30/12/2023 11:54

Genevieve is beautiful

CastaDiva93 · 29/12/2023 20:27

Hi, my name is Ginevra.
It's not just the Italian translation of the city of Geneva, but as a name it refers to Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. I used to get many compliments as a kid. It's becoming popular again in Italy.
So, if you name your baby Ginevra, people wouldn't assume you're calling her like the city, but after the queen.

SmellsLikeMiddleAgeSpirit · 14/05/2022 12:33

I love Genevieve!
I knew one who preferred to be known by her full name (pronounced English way), but did get called Vivi by her husband.

Ginevra is OK.

Moosh18 · 13/05/2022 14:45

@Petcarb we have a Guinevere- Guinny ❤️

Glitterspy · 13/05/2022 12:28

I like the French pronunciation of Genevieve “je-on-vee-ev” and the nickname Vivi

Kayjay2018 · 13/05/2022 12:27

I have a just turned 2 year old called Genevieve, it gets shortened to Gen, Genny or Vivi. She calls herself Genny or Guffif (which we will obviously remind her of when she is older). We seem to get quite a lot of comments about it being a lovely name.

KirstenBlest · 13/05/2022 12:26

@ZoyaTheDestroyer , true.

brokengoalposts · 13/05/2022 12:25

French is Zhen vy ev.

brokengoalposts · 13/05/2022 12:24

I have a very good friend who is Genevieve, she is French so I automatically pronounce it the French way, very lovely name.

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 13/05/2022 12:21

@KirstenBlest perhaps but that’s not the pronunciation of the French name.

KirstenBlest · 13/05/2022 12:01

@TempsPerdu , you are going against the flow not against the grain. They mean different things.

@ZoyaTheDestroyer , maybe it was french Jean

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 13/05/2022 11:45

feelinglowandblue · 10/05/2022 06:33

Genevieve when it’s pronounced Jean-Vyev is one of my most fave names of all time!

Where on earth is that pronunciation from?

The usual anglicised pn is jen-uh-veev.
The French pn of Geneviève has four syllables: zhen-uh-vee-ev.

veronicagoldberg · 12/05/2022 22:42

I knew a girl named Giverny, which could be an option.

Eastlyne · 12/05/2022 22:39

My sis is Genevieve, goes by Gennie. I like Ginevra too, but I like Gin/Ginnie.

Ellmau · 12/05/2022 00:29

They're both lovely, but Ginevra is perhaps the more straightforward in terms of pronunciation.

pussycatlickinglollyices · 11/05/2022 10:49

I went to school with a Ginevra (she was lovely), she got "Ginny" quite a lot.

FayCarew · 10/05/2022 19:06

Of the two, Genevieve, but I'm not keen on it

Geamhradh · 10/05/2022 18:21

queenofmay · 10/05/2022 11:06

I really love Genevieve. It's one of my personal favourites. It reminds of Catherine Deneuve in the Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

I do like Ginevra too. It's very popular in Italy - in their top 10 I believe? It's also the Italian form of Guinevere (as in the Arthurian character), so it's not like calling a child London or something.

I think in the UK it would get misread/mispronounced as "Ginerva" which would be a pain though. It also maybe sounds more charming in an Italian accent than in an English one.

I don't think the Harry Potter thing is a big deal since the character is just called Ginny in all the movies, so that's what most of the public know her as.

Weirdly there are only 5000 Ginevras in the whole of Italy currently alive, but of those, over 3,000 were born in 2020.
It's gone from 0.0something % in 2000 to 1.something % in 2020.
I suppose it's like the Chloe phenomenon in the UK twenty or so years back!

TempsPerdu · 10/05/2022 11:18

Going to go against the grain and say that I much prefer Ginevra to Genevieve. It’s more rhythmically appealing to me and flows off the tongue better.

A close friend of ours has a DD called Genevieve and it just sounds so clunky and prissy whenever she says it aloud - probably because she tends to emphasise the last syllable, so it’s ‘Jenna-VEEV’.

Ginevra just has a fresher and livelier feel to me.

alorslanon · 10/05/2022 11:14

Gosh, Ginevra. From personal experience, I would REALLY counsel against a name which, when someone ask, what's your name? and you answer, they say "what?!" Ginevra is one of those, it really is. For a few years, while we were living abroad, my daughter had a name like that. It REALLY knocked her confidence. She'd say it in a big loud voice, and people would say, huh?! EVERY TIME. Poor kid. We're home now, and it's much better. But Ginevra, wow.