Genesee

Genesee is a toponym and surname used for a number of places and institutions in the United States. The name derives from a Native American language associated with the Great Lakes region and has been applied most prominently to geographic features in western New York, especially the Genesee River.

The Genesee River runs from the southern tier of New York toward Lake Ontario and has long served as a focal point for settlement, commerce, and transportation in the Genesee Valley. Genesee County, New York, is a rural county in western New York whose county seat is Batavia; the river and county share a regional history shaped by industry and transportation networks.

Genesee Country Village & Museum is a large living history museum located in Avon, New York, preserving 19th-century buildings and landscapes. Genesee Brewing Company, based in Rochester, New York, is one of the older operating breweries in the United States and is best known for Genesee Cream Ale, first produced in the mid-20th century.

Beyond specific places, Genesee is used as a surname and appears in the names of other townships, towns, and geographic features in the United States. Etymologically, the term reflects historical ties to the Genesee River region and its Indigenous roots, underscoring the name’s long association with western New York.