The name Germain is of French origin and means "of the same race". It is derived from the Latin word "Germanus", which was used to describe someone who belonged to the Germanic people. The name Germain has a long history, with its earliest known use dating back to the Middle Ages in France. It was often used as a given name, but also appeared as a surname. Today, Germain remains popular in France and other French-speaking countries, while it is less commonly used elsewhere.
The name Germain has a varied history of popularity in the United States over the past century, as reflected in these birth statistics from 1913 to 2020.
In the early decades, there was no consistent trend for the name Germain. The number of births each year fluctuated significantly, with totals ranging from 5 to 13 between 1913 and 1934. During this time, Germain was not a particularly popular choice for parents, as indicated by the low birth numbers.
However, starting in the late 1960s and continuing through the 1970s, there was an increase in the number of babies named Germain each year. This decade marked the beginning of a period of relative popularity for the name, with birth totals reaching their peak in 1972 (27 births) and 1979 (28 births).
This trend continued into the early 1980s, although with some variation in popularity. The number of births remained relatively stable, ranging from 15 to 30 between 1976 and 1984.
Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, Germain's popularity began to wane once again. Birth totals decreased steadily each year, reaching a low of just 6 births in 2001. This trend continued until 2007, with birth numbers fluctuating between 6 and 19.
Since then, the name Germain has experienced some ups and downs in popularity. There have been brief periods of increased popularity, such as in 2013 (11 births) and 2014 (15 births), followed by decreases in popularity in subsequent years. Overall, however, Germain remains a relatively uncommon name in the United States.
Over the entire period from 1913 to 2020, a total of 979 babies were named Germain at birth in the United States. This figure reflects the varied history of popularity for this name over the past century. Despite fluctuations in popularity, Germain remains a distinctive and unique choice for parents looking for a classic yet uncommon name for their child.