Germaine

Did you know?

A few things about Germaine you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Germaine

Germaine de Staël

Genevan-French author (1766-1817)

Choose Germaine and your child shares a first name with Germaine de Staël, a Genevan-French author. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Germaine, like who?” Germaine de Staël's Wikipedia article is available in 90 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Germaine de Staël on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: After François Gérard / Marie-Éléonore Godefroid, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 243,902 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Germaine, 7 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Germaine would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryGermaine first shows up in US birth records in 1895, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 130 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1972, when it ranked #629. Today it's #9,714, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowGermaine was 3.6× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 67,568 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 243,902.
• 🚀TrendGermaine has climbed 891 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #9,714. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• ⚖️Boy or girlGermaine is given to both boys and girls: 54% of the 13 babies named Germaine in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
• 💬MeaningIn French, Germaine means “brother”. Our records link it to Celtic, French and Latin roots.

About the name Germaine

Germaine is a gender-neutral name of Celtic, French and Latin origin meaning “brother”. It has 8 letters and 2 syllables, starting with G and ending in “-ine”. US birth records list Germaine for boys from 1967 to 2025, in 57 of those 59 years. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked #629 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #9,714, with 7 babies. Of the 13 US babies named Germaine in 2025, 46% were girls and 54% were boys.

Origin:Celtic namesFrench namesLatin names