The name German is of Latin origin and means "from Germany". It is derived from the Old French word "germain", which itself comes from the Germanic word "* Germainaz", meaning "spear-man" or "warrior". The name has been used in various forms throughout history, with notable figures including Germanicus Julius Caesar, a Roman general of the 1st century AD, and Emperor germanicus I (also known as Barbarossa), who ruled the Holy Roman Empire from 1138 to 1190. Today, the name German is still used in many countries around the world, although it may be more commonly associated with the Germanic language family rather than the country of Germany itself.
The name German saw a significant increase in popularity from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, with birth numbers jumping from single digits to triple digits within just a few years. The highest number of births recorded was in 1989, with 269 occurrences, followed by 304 births in 1991. However, since the late 1990s, there has been a steady decline in the name's popularity, with fewer than 200 births recorded annually from 2007 onwards, and fewer than 150 births per year since 2010.