Ginevra is a feminine given name. It was occasionally used in medieval and Renaissance Italy in reference to Queen Guinevere, King Arthur’s queen in the popular Arthurian legends.[1] It is the Italian version of the name Guinevere, which is a Norman French version of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, meaning "white" and "smooth" or "white phantom."[2][3] It is also associated with the juniper tree in Italy, where the name for the tree is ginepro. Geneva, Switzerland is called Ginevra in Italian.[4] It is a currently popular name for girls in Italy, where it has been among the top 100 names given to newborn girls since 1999 and among the top 10 most popular names for baby girls since 2016.[5] It is in occasional use in other countries, including the United States, where it was given to 12 newborn girls born in 2020, to 14 girls born in 2021, and to 16 girls in 2022,[6] and Switzerland, where it was given to 17 girls born in 2020.[7]
 Queen Guinevere’s Maying by John Collier. | |
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Italian |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | Italian form of Guinevere, meaning white phantom. |
| Other names | |
| See also | Geneva, Guinevere, Jennifer, Juniper |
People edit
- Ginevra de' Benci (aristocrat) (1457–1521), Italian aristocrat
- Ginevra Cantofoli (1618–1672), Italian painter
- Ginevra Elkann (born 1979), Italian apprentice film director
- Ginevra d'Este (1419–1440), Italian noblewoman
- Ginevra King (1898–1980), American socialite and debutante
Fictional characters edit
- Ginevra di Scozia, title character of the opera by Simon Mayr
- Princess Ginevra of Scotland, one of the main characters of Handel's opera Ariodante
- Ginevra or Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter books
- Ginevra Fanshawe in Charlotte Brontë's novel Villette
Notes edit
- ^ Byrne, Joseph P. The World of Renaissance Italy: A Daily Life Encyclopedia, Greenwood, 2017, ISBN 1440829594, page 191
- ^ Witchard Goetinck, Glenys (1966). "Gwenhwyfar, Guinevere and Guenièvre". Études Celtiques. 11 (2): 351–360. doi:10.3406/ecelt.1966.1400.
- ^ "Nook of Names Pick of the Week — Guinevere". 31 July 2011.
- ^ "Meaning, origin and history of the name Ginevra".
- ^ "How many babies are named...?".
- ^ "Popular Baby Names".
- ^ "Vornamen der Neugeborenen - Bundesamt für Statistik".
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