I hate this name. As a Harry Potter fan, when I see this name, I think of it as the pet form of Ginevra. I LOVE that name, and "Ginny" is just a childish insult to it.
Many people hear it and spell it Jenny - which is much too common to be associated with Ginevra, even by mistake.
I also like Ginevra and dislike Ginny. However, it seems to me that a name like Ginevra needs a nickname, and Ginny is the most logical one; it's interesting that Ginevra seems very mature and elegant to me while Ginny is sort of down to earth and childish.
-- Anonymous User 6/2/2007
I picture a girl with locks and dressed in a checkered dress and a percale apron, running down a field.
-- Anonymous User 9/29/2007
I have always really liked this name. There's a warmth and friendliness to it.
I first heard it from the show Little House on the Prairie. The character named Ginny was either a cousin or sister to the main character Laura Ingles.
I would think it could be a nickname for not only Virginia, but also Genevieve and Ginger. I probably wouldn't use it by itself, but as a nickname I love it!