Boy name · Greek
Eugene
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: well bornEugene is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "well born". It is used in English and French.
- Meaning
- Well born
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #943 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Eugene
As a boy's name, Eugene comes from Greek and means "well born". It is used in English and French. In French it is spelled Eugène.
In French, say uh-ZHEN. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Eugene on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Eugene on 7 lists.
“Well born; Greek. A top-5 middle for men born in the 1920s to 1940s”
From Boy middle names, vintage male middle names
“Well born; Greek. Gene for short”
From Classic boy names, traditional Latin and Greek boy names
“Well born; Greek, Gene for short”
From Cute boy names, sweet vintage boy names
“Well born; Greek. Say uh-ZHEN”
From French boy names, vintage French boy names
“Well born; Greek. Gene for short”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
“Means well born, fitting for a starter with good roots”
From Sourdough starter names, old-fashioned names for a sourdough starter
“Greek for well born, earnest and goofy”
From Unique dog names, old-fashioned names nobody uses for dogs
How popular is Eugene?
- US rank in 2025
- #943
- 249 babies, 146 per million boys
- Best rank
- #20 in 1927
- 9,742 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 380,708
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 3,131 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 3,771 per million |
| 1900s | 4,353 per million |
| 1910s | 5,267 per million |
| 1920s | 7,691 per million |
| 1930s | 6,713 per million |
| 1940s | 3,847 per million |
| 1950s | 2,388 per million |
| 1960s | 1,522 per million |
| 1970s | 1,001 per million |
| 1980s | 572 per million |
| 1990s | 313 per million |
| 2000s | 188 per million |
| 2010s | 151 per million |
| 2020s | 152 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #790 | #822 | #864 | #786 | #840 | #850 | #930 | #919 | #875 | #943 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Eugene
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- EugenioWell born (Greek, boy)
- EvgeniosWell born (Greek, boy)
- UxíoWell born (Greek, boy)
- ZhenyaWell born (Greek, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- NataliaBorn on Christmas day (Latin, girl)
- EugeniaWell born (Greek, girl)
- EugenieWell born (Greek, girl)
- EuphemiaWell spoken (Greek, girl)
- KennethAnglicized Coinneach, handsome, and Cináed, perhaps born of fire (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- RenatoBorn again (Latin, boy)
- EffieWell spoken (Greek, girl)
- IphigeniaStrong-born (Greek, girl)
- NatashaBorn on Christmas Day (Latin, girl)
- RenateBorn again (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Eugene
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Greek
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
- SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
Eugene: common questions
What does the name Eugene mean?
Eugene comes from Greek and means "well born".
Is Eugene a boy or girl name?
Eugene is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Eugene come from?
Eugene comes from Greek and means "well born". Today it is used in English and French.
How popular is the name Eugene?
Eugene ranked #943 in the US in 2025, with 249 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Eugene?
Forms of Eugene with the same meaning and origin include Eugenio (Italian), Evgenios (Greek), Uxío (Spanish) and Zhenya (Russian).
What middle names go with Eugene?
Middle names that flow well with Eugene include Abel, Finn, Grant, Mark and Ray. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.