Germayne
Of Old German origin, meaning "with strength of a germane (genuine) man".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Germayne. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Germayne today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Germayne births was 1972 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Germayne. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Germayne. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1972
5 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1972 SSA rank
#5,244
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Germayne: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Germayne 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 Germayne during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Germayne
The name Germayne has its origins in the Late Latin name Germanus, which itself is derived from the Latin word "germanus" meaning "brother" or "of the same stock". This suggests the name was initially used to refer to kinsmen or those of the same tribe or community.
In its earliest recorded uses, the name Germanus was particularly popular among early Christians in the 4th and 5th centuries AD, as it was borne by several notable saints and scholars of that era. One of the most famous was St. Germanus of Auxerre (378-448 AD), a renowned bishop and missionary who helped to evangelize Britain and combat the Pelagian heresy.
The spelling variation "Germayne" emerged later in medieval times, likely influenced by the Old French forms of the name such as "Germain" or "Germaine". This spelling was used by several historical figures, including Germayne de Foix (1490-1536), a French noblewoman and the second wife of Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Another notable bearer of the name was Germayne Greer (1939-), the Australian academic, writer, and feminist scholar best known for her seminal work "The Female Eunuch". Other examples from history include Germayne Edmund Pratt (1869-1956), an English architect and author, and Germayne Michael (1890-1964), an American mathematician and academic.
While relatively uncommon compared to other variants like Germain or Jermaine, the spelling "Germayne" has continued to be used sporadically through the centuries, reflecting the name's enduring connection to its ancient Latin roots and the ideals of kinship and community it once represented.
People
Germayne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Germayne as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Germayne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Germayne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Germayne 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Germayne a common name?
We classify Germayne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Germayne most popular?
The single biggest year for Germayne was 1972, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Germayne is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Germayne in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Germayne a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Germayne in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Germayne still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Germayne in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Germayne can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Germayne as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.