Emogene

Meaning & origin

Emogene is a vintage variant of Imogen that saw its heyday in the early 20th century. It first appeared in U.S. records in 1886, peaked in 1927 at its highest recorded usage, and has since declined dramatically. By 2025, it is so rare that no birth count is available for recent years, placing it in the category of truly uncommon names. The name's trajectory is stable, with no signs of revival, and its usage has historically been concentrated in the United States, though it never ranked among the top 1,000 names nationally.

Emogene is a variant of Imogen, a name popularized by William Shakespeare for a character in his play 'Cymbeline' (first performed around 1611). The name's origin is debated: it may be a misprint of Innogen, from the Latin 'innocens' meaning 'innocent', or derived from the Gaelic 'inghean' meaning 'maiden'. Emogene emerged as a spelling variant in the 19th century and saw modest use in the early 20th century, particularly in the United States.