Ginevra

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Italian
Meaning: debated
(jee-NAVE-rah)

The name has often been used as an Italian cognate for the Celtic, Guinevere, but it has also long been believed to be related to the Italian word ginepro (juniper). In the latter case, the city of Geneva, Switzerland, would share the same etymology.

Ginevra was a popular female name in Medieval Italy.

Currently, Ginevra is the 37th most popular female name in Italian-speaking Switzerland, (2010).

In the English-speaking world, the name was recently brought to attention via the J.K. Rowling books, Harry Potter, in which it is the name of Ron Weasley’s sister, Ginny.

Other forms include:

• Ginewra (Polish)
• Żinewra (Polish)
• Genebra (Portuguese/Spanish)