Find out how popular the last name Germain is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Germain.

Germain, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Germain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Germain in America

Germain is the 4816th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Germain surname appeared 7,332 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Germain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Germain to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Germain

The surname Germain originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin name Germanus, which means "brother" or "of German descent." The name Germain was also the name of a popular 5th-century saint who became the Bishop of Auxerre in France.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Germain can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that people with the surname Germain may have migrated from France to England during the Norman Conquest.

The name Germain was also associated with several place names in France, such as Germain-en-Laye and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. These places were often named after local churches or monasteries dedicated to Saint Germain.

One notable person with the surname Germain was Thomas Germain (1673-1748), a French banker and financier who played a significant role in the development of the French economy during the 18th century. Another famous Germain was Sophie Germain (1776-1831), a French mathematician who made important contributions to the study of elasticity theory and number theory.

In the field of literature, Comte de Saint-Germain (c. 1690-1784) was a renowned European adventurer and occultist who claimed to be several centuries old and to possess the secret of immortality. He was a mysterious figure who fascinated many writers and philosophers of his time.

Another significant figure with the surname Germain was Claude Germain (1590-1663), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to Canada and helped establish the first permanent European settlement in what is now Quebec City.

Germain Pilon (c. 1537-1590) was a celebrated French sculptor during the Renaissance period, known for his works in churches and royal residences in Paris. His most famous work is the sculpture of the "Three Graces" at the Louvre Museum.

Throughout history, the surname Germain has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including nobility, clergy, scholars, artists, and adventurers, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and influence of this French surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Germain

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Germain.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Germain was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Germain has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Germain was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Germain, please contact us.

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