UK girl's name
Gentiana
A feminine name derived from the gentian flower plant, likely referring to gentleness or nobility.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2001. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Gentiana is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Gentiana popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2001 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3998, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 3 births.
This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1998 to 2001. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Gentiana. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2002 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Gentiana ranked #3998 for girls in England and Wales in 2001, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 3 girls were registered as Gentiana.
- • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gentiana as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3998
2001
Births in 2001
3
Latest year
Peak year
1998
3 births
Estimated living
6
2026
Meaning
What does Gentiana mean?
The name Gentiana originates from the Latin word "gentiana", which refers to the gentian plant, a group of flowering plants from the genus Gentiana. This genus is named after Gentius, an ancient Illyrian king who ruled over a region that is now part of modern-day Albania and North Macedonia in the 2nd century BC. He is said to have discovered the medicinal properties of these plants.
The name Gentiana was likely first used as a personal name during the Roman era, as the Romans were known to name individuals after plants, flowers, and natural elements. It may have been a feminine name derived from the Latin word "gentianus", meaning "of or belonging to the Gentius family or tribe".
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Gentiana, a Roman woman mentioned in an inscription from the 2nd century AD found in Gaul (modern-day France). This inscription suggests that the name was already in use during the Roman period.
In the 16th century, the Swiss naturalist and botanist Konrad Gesner (1516-1565) used the Latin name "Gentiana" to refer to the gentian plant in his influential work on plants, "Historia Plantarum". This helped to solidify the association between the name and the plant genus.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gentiana, including:
1. Gentiana Ferri (born c. 1494), an Italian Renaissance painter known for her religious works and portraits. 2. Gentiana Hervart (1520-1568), a German Renaissance painter and printmaker from Strasbourg. 3. Gentiana Canavese (1667-1718), an Italian painter and engraver active in Turin during the Baroque period. 4. Gentiana Ville (1676-1723), a French botanist and naturalist who contributed to the study of plant taxonomy. 5. Gentiana Roser (1841-1902), a Swiss painter known for her landscape and genre paintings depicting rural life in Switzerland.
While the name Gentiana has its roots in ancient times, it has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, likely due to its botanical origins and association with the gentian plant. Nonetheless, it has been used across various cultures and time periods, often by individuals with connections to the arts, sciences, or natural world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gentiana over time
The chart below shows babies named Gentiana registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2001. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gentiana, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2001, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gentiana by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gentiana was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3998 | 3 | 1 |
| 1990s | #3848 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Gentiana
- Grace 79,208
- Georgia 48,838
- Gracie 18,387
- Georgina 15,599
- Gabriella 10,902
- Gemma 8,350
- Gabrielle 7,154
- Georgie 4,883
- Gabriela 3,300
- Genevieve 2,393
- Gracie-Mae 1,727
- Greta 1,283
FAQ
Gentiana: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gentiana in the UK right now?
In 2001, Gentiana was ranked #3998 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Gentiana most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 3 babies registered as Gentiana in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gentiana?
A feminine name derived from the gentian flower plant, likely referring to gentleness or nobility.
How many people are called Gentiana in the UK?
A total of 6 babies have been registered as Gentiana across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.