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Eugene

Heart
Greek
"wellborn, noble"

Eugene Origin and Meaning

The name Eugene is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "wellborn, noble".

Eugene is a classic that has rather lost its way. On the one hand, it's a grandpa, even great-grandpa name that hasn't been one of the cool kids recently—or to quote Jim Carrey, who bears this name in the middle spot, "You can never get too cool with a name like Eugene." The hero of Disney's Tangled felt the same way, when he changed his birth name of Eugene to the more romantic Flynn.

And yet! Eugene has had a long history of popularity, as a Top 50 name from 1880 to the 1940s. In fact, it has never been out of the Top 1000, making it a classic that's still given to hundreds of boys each year. It's even stopped falling in the last few years, and we could speculate that one day it will return to style.

Also on the plus side, there were four popes and several saints named Eugene. A literary namesake is playwright Eugene O'Neill, and in art history Eugene Delacroix. In addition, there is the classic Russian novel by Pushkin, Eugene Onegin, and Eugene is the name Neil Simon used for his stand-in in three autobiographical plays, starting with Brighton Beach Memoirs.

The female form, Eugenie, is chic and elegant, belonging to one of the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of York.

# 934 in the US

Eugene Rank in US Top 1000

# 418 on Nameberry

Eugene Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Eugene Popularity

20 Names Similar to Eugene

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Famous People Named Eugene

  • Eugene Gladstone O'NeillAmerican playwright
  • (Ferdinand Victor) Eugène DelacroixFrench Romantic painter
  • Eugene Victor "Gene" DebsAmerican socialist politician
  • Eugene Merle ShoemakerAmerican geologist
  • Eugène SimonFrench naturalist
  • Eugene Joseph "Gene" McCarthyAmerican politician and poet
  • Eugene OrmandyHungarian,American conductor and violinist
  • Eugene Louis "Gore" VidalAmerican novelist
  • Eugene "Gene" CernanAmerican astronaut
  • Eugene AmanoAmerican NFL football player
  • Eugene SimsAmerican NFL football player
  • Eugene MonroeAmerican NFL football player
  • Eugene Ionesco (born Eugen Ionescu)Romanian playwright
  • Eugene MirmanRussian,American comedian
  • Eugene OsmentAmerican actor
  • Eugene WignerHungarian American theoretical physicist, mathematician and Nobel prize winner
  • Eugene Lee Yangactor and writer/producer/director for The Try Guys
  • Edwin Eugene "Buzz" AldrinAmerican Astronaut
  • James Eugene "Jim" CarreyCanadian actor
  • Eugene Pip (b. 2012)son of actress Billie Piper
  • Eugene (b. 2017)son of actor Oscar Isaac and Elvira Lind
  • Eugene "Gene" Curran KellyAmerican dancer, actor of film, stage, and television, singer, film director, producer, and choreographer
  • Eugene Levy (b. 1946) Canadian comedic actorwas in all the American Pie films

Eugene in Pop Culture

  • Eugene Wrayburncharacter in Charles Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend"
  • Eugene Arlingtonmain character in Patrick Stumph's film "Moustachette"
  • Eugene Tannenbaumfrom the movie "Evan Almighty"
  • Eugene Fitzherbert aka Flynn Ridercharacter in Disney's "Tangled"
  • Eugene "Arseface" Rootcharacter in DC Universe's "Preacher"
  • Mr. Eugene H. Krabscharacter from "SpongeBob Squarepants"
  • Eugene Horowitzcharacter from animated TV series "Hey Arnold"
  • Lucas Eugene Scottmain character on "One Tree Hill"
  • Eugene Portercharacter on "The Walking Dead"
  • Eugene RoeEasy Company Medic in "Band of Brothers"
  • Eugene "Gene" Belchercharacter in FOX animated series "Bob's Burgers"
  • Eugene Felsnicnerdy character in musical "Grease"
  • Eugene Meltsnercharacter in radio programme "Adventures in Odyssey"
  • Eugene Tackleberrygun loving character in the "Police Academy" Films & Animated Series