Eugene
Borrowed from French Eugène, from Latin Eugenius, from Ancient Greek Εὐγένιος (Eugénios, “well born”), from εὖ (eû, “good, well”) + -γενής (-genḗs, “born a certain…
Every Eugene since 1880 — 383,340 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Eugene
Eugene is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #943 in 2025 with 249 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 383,340 American babies have been named Eugene. Its peak came in 1927, when 9,827 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Eugene stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Eugene year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 249 | #943 |
| 2024 | — | — | 276 | #875 |
| 2023 | — | — | 251 | #919 |
| 2022 | — | — | 248 | #930 |
| 2021 | — | — | 279 | #850 |
| 2020 | — | — | 272 | #840 |
| 2019 | 5 | #16,305 | 296 | #786 |
| 2018 | — | — | 254 | #864 |
| 2017 | — | — | 274 | #822 |
| 2016 | 5 | #17,073 | 300 | #790 |
| 2015 | — | — | 274 | #826 |
| 2014 | — | — | 291 | #791 |
| 2013 | — | — | 291 | #770 |
| 2012 | — | — | 315 | #735 |
| 2011 | 5 | #17,629 | 263 | #825 |
| 2010 | 10 | #10,674 | 287 | #776 |
| 2009 | — | — | 312 | #743 |
| 2008 | — | — | 341 | #696 |
| 2007 | 7 | #14,386 | 351 | #677 |
| 2006 | — | — | 352 | #654 |
| 2005 | 6 | #15,090 | 340 | #640 |
| 2004 | 9 | #10,974 | 383 | #583 |
| 2003 | 10 | #9,903 | 383 | #576 |
| 2002 | 6 | #14,155 | 405 | #548 |
| 2001 | 8 | #11,348 | 422 | #525 |
| 2000 | 8 | #11,058 | 454 | #504 |
| 1995 | — | — | 529 | #430 |
| 1990 | 5 | #13,654 | 810 | #312 |
| 1985 | 10 | #6,605 | 996 | #232 |
| 1980 | 13 | #5,322 | 1,287 | #191 |
| 1975 | 21 | #3,311 | 1,518 | #160 |
| 1970 | 14 | #4,105 | 2,264 | #146 |
| 1965 | 20 | #2,768 | 2,714 | #120 |
| 1960 | 17 | #3,022 | 3,761 | #109 |
| 1955 | 25 | #2,177 | 4,791 | #81 |
| 1950 | 17 | #2,471 | 5,481 | #58 |
| 1945 | 22 | #1,809 | 5,167 | #50 |
| 1940 | 31 | #1,359 | 5,804 | #38 |
| 1935 | 34 | #1,229 | 6,859 | #26 |
| 1930 | 85 | #763 | 9,029 | #21 |
| 1925 | 55 | #1,012 | 8,517 | #24 |
| 1920 | 49 | #1,063 | 6,867 | #30 |
| 1915 | 25 | #1,454 | 4,321 | #41 |
| 1910 | 12 | #1,363 | 888 | #39 |
| 1905 | 8 | #1,464 | 593 | #42 |
| 1900 | 9 | #1,353 | 587 | #45 |
| 1895 | 10 | #1,077 | 430 | #50 |
| 1890 | — | — | 408 | #46 |
| 1885 | — | — | 345 | #51 |
| 1880 | — | — | 328 | #53 |
Famous people named Eugene
- Eugene Wigner Physicist · 1902–1995
- Eugene O'Neill Writer · 1888–1953
- Eugene Fama Economist · b. 1939
- Eugene Nida Writer · 1914–2011
- Eugene de Blaas Painter · 1843–1931
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Eugene mean?
Borrowed from French Eugène, from Latin Eugenius, from Ancient Greek Εὐγένιος (Eugénios, “well born”), from εὖ (eû, “good, well”) + -γενής (-genḗs, “born a certain way”).
How popular is the name Eugene in 2025?
Eugene ranked #943 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 249 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Eugene?
383,340 babies have been named Eugene in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Eugene most popular?
Eugene peaked in 1927, when 9,827 newborns received the name.
Is Eugene a boy or girl name?
Eugene is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Eugene rising or falling?
Eugene has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Eugene?
Well-known people named Eugene include Eugene Wigner (physicist), Eugene O'Neill (writer), Eugene Fama (economist).