Charmain
A feminine name derived from the French word "charmante" meaning "charming" or "lovely".
Name Census estimates that about 846 living Americans carry the first name Charmain. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Charmain today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Charmain births was 1972 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Charmain. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
846
~ 1 in 405,147 Americans
Peak year
1972
44 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
2002 SSA rank
#15,928
Tracked since 1928
Popularity
Charmain: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Charmain from the 1920s through to the 2000s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 335 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Charmain by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Charmain during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Charmains live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Charmain, while Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Charmain
The name Charmain is a feminine given name of French origin, derived from the Old French word "charmant," meaning "charming" or "delightful." Its roots can be traced back to the Latin word "carminare," which means "to charm" or "to cast a spell."
This name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in France and other parts of Europe. It was often used to describe a woman who was considered to be graceful, elegant, and pleasing in manner or appearance.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Charmain can be found in the medieval French romance "Le Roman de la Rose," written by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun in the 13th century. In this literary work, Charmain is depicted as a beautiful and enchanting character.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Charmain. One of the most famous was Charmain Innes (1901-1972), a British actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the early 20th century. Another notable Charmain was Charmain Carr (1942-2016), an American actress best known for her role as Liesl von Trapp in the classic 1965 film "The Sound of Music."
Other notable individuals with the name Charmain include Charmain Shoulders (1928-2019), an American singer and actress who performed on Broadway; Charmain Blanchard (born 1958), a British writer and journalist; and Charmain Naidoo (born 1970), a South African model and television presenter.
While the name Charmain has roots in French and European culture, it has also been embraced in other parts of the world. For instance, Charmain Paleka (born 1966) is a Hawaiian politician and former member of the Hawaii House of Representatives.
Overall, the name Charmain has a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting a sense of charm, grace, and beauty that has endured throughout the ages.
People
Charmain + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Charmain as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Charmain: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Charmain?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 846 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Charmain going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 405,147 US residents.
Is Charmain a common name?
We classify Charmain as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 995 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Charmain most popular?
The single biggest year for Charmain was 1972, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Charmain is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Charmain a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Charmain in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.