Germaine is a moniker of French origin, derived from the Germanic element 'germi', meaning 'spear'. It was originally a surname before evolving into a given name. Germaine gained prominence in France during the 19th and early 20th centuries but has since become less common. Notable figures with this name include French writer Germaine de Staël and American journalist Germaine Greer.
The name Germaine experienced its peak popularity between 1971 and 1973 with 157 births in 1972 being the highest recorded number of births. Since then, the number of babies named Germaine has steadily declined, reaching a low point of 5 births in recent years (2020-2022). Over the entire period from 1967 to 2023, there were a total of 2351 babies named Germaine.