Givrins
Origin of the name Givrins
The name appears around 1087 in the form «Givriacus», then «Gevrins» in 1145 and «Givriacum» in 1155-1185. It is said to derive from a Latin personal name, «Gabrius» or «Gaberius», with a Latin place-name suffix (to be cross-checked). The inhabitants are called Givrinois; they are nicknamed the Copons, after the shape of the dome of the clock tower.
Founding of Givrins
No source consulted says who founded the village or when. The site was inhabited in Roman times, as remains of settlements show, and then in the early Middle Ages, as shown by cemeteries. A noble family of Givrins is recorded; in the Middle Ages the village belongs to the lordship of Genolier. From 1435 to the 19th century the community acquires mountain pastures and forests, whose use and the timber trade become an important source of income. The writer Urbain Olivier lived in Givrins.
History of Givrins
Roman period. Roman settlements exist in the area.
Early Middle Ages. Cemeteries bear witness to the occupation of the site.
around 1087. First written mention, in the form «Givriacus».
1145. The village appears in the form «Gevrins».
Middle Ages. Givrins, where a noble family is recorded, belongs to the lordship of Genolier.
1435. Start of the purchases of mountain pastures and forests, continued until the 19th century.
1685. The village belongs to the Quisard family and forms a lordship of the bailiwick of Nyon, governed by a council of twelve members.
1764. The village has 256 inhabitants.
1798. Givrins is attached to the district of Nyon.
1810. Construction of the village's central fountain.
1834. Givrins, until then part of the parish of Vich, moves to that of Duillier.
1840. Givrins is incorporated into the parish of Genolier.
1916. Opening of the station on the Nyon-Saint-Cergue line.
1964. Construction of a Protestant church.
1966. The fountain of 1810 is listed as a historic monument.
2000. The municipality has 823 inhabitants.
2025. The municipality has 1'096 inhabitants on 31 December.
Population of Givrins
| 1764 | 256 |
| 1850 | 317 |
| 1900 | 299 |
| 1950 | 226 |
| 1980 | 498 |
| 2000 | 823 |
| 2025 | 1'096 |
Historic sites in Givrins
Village fountain. Built in 1810 in the village centre, it has been listed as a historic monument since July 1966.
Clock tower. The shape of its dome earned the inhabitants their nickname, the Copons.
Protestant church. Givrins, long without a church of its own and attached in turn to the parishes of Vich, Duillier and then Genolier, gained a Protestant church in 1964 (rue du Temple 2), designed by the architect Marcel Auclair (to be cross-checked).
Givrins station. It opened in 1916 on the Nyon-Saint-Cergue line.
Remains in Givrins
Roman remains. Remains of Roman settlements have been found in the municipal territory.
Early medieval cemeteries. Cemeteries from the early Middle Ages show that the site was occupied well before the first written mention of the village, around 1087.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Givrins »
- Wikipédia, « Givrins »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near Givrins
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