Sharmain
Of Arabic origin, meaning "the highest beauty or grace."
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the first name Sharmain. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sharmain today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sharmain births was 1990 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sharmain. 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
161
~ 1 in 2,128,909 Americans
Peak year
1990
14 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1993 SSA rank
#9,407
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Sharmain: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sharmain from the 1950s through to the 1990s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 56 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Sharmain remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sharmain 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 Sharmain during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sharmain
The name Sharmain has its origins in the French language, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a variant of the name Charmaine, which was derived from the Old French word "charmant," meaning charming or delightful.
In the 12th century, the name Charmaine emerged as a feminine form of the French word "charme," which itself came from the Latin word "carmina," meaning song or verse. The addition of the suffix "-aine" transformed the word into a feminine name, signifying a woman of charm and grace.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sharmain can be found in the literary works of the French poet and philosopher, Christine de Pizan (1364-1430), who used the name in her allegorical works. Her writings played a significant role in popularizing the name throughout medieval France.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained further prominence with Sharmain de Champlain (1567-1635), the wife of the French explorer and founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain. Her presence in the early colonial settlements of North America helped spread the name to the New World.
In the 17th century, the French dramatist and poet, Jean Racine (1639-1699), featured a character named Sharmain in his play "Andromaque," further contributing to the name's recognition and popularity.
Another notable figure bearing the name was Sharmain de Beaumont (1711-1780), a French writer and educator who authored several influential works on moral education for children, including the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast."
In the realm of classical music, the French composer and pianist, Sharmain Viardot-Garcia (1821-1910), achieved international acclaim for her operatic performances and compositions during the Romantic era.
Throughout history, the name Sharmain has maintained its association with charm, grace, and artistic expression, reflecting its French origins and the cultural influence of those who bore this name.
People
Sharmain + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sharmain as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sharmain: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sharmain?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 161 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sharmain 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 2,128,909 US residents.
Is Sharmain a common name?
We classify Sharmain as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 177 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sharmain most popular?
The single biggest year for Sharmain was 1990, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sharmain is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sharmain a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sharmain 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.