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

Germaine, 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 Germaine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Germaine in America

Germaine is the 20157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Germaine surname appeared 1,324 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Germaine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Germaine 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 Germaine

The surname Germaine is of French origin, derived from the Latin personal name "Germanus" meaning "brother" or "relative." This name was initially used as a nickname for a close friend or relative.

The earliest recorded examples of the Germaine surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various parts of France, particularly in the regions of Normandy, Brittany, and Picardy. It is believed that the name may have been adopted by families who had close connections or kinship ties with Germanic tribes or individuals during the early medieval period.

In the 13th century, the name Germaine appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, including the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a collection of charters and documents related to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris. This suggests that the surname may have been associated with individuals or families living in or around the abbey.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Germaine surname was Jean Germaine, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Rouen, Normandy, in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Philippe Germaine, a French explorer and navigator who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to the New World in the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Germaine surname gained prominence through the works of the French philosopher and mathematician, René Descartes (1596-1650), who was born with the surname Descartes but later adopted the name "Renatus Cartesius," which is the Latin translation of "René Germaine."

Other notable individuals with the Germaine surname include:

1. Thomas Germaine (1673-1739), a French architect and engineer known for his contributions to the design of the Place Vendôme in Paris.
2. Sophie Germaine (1776-1831), a French mathematician and philosopher, recognized for her significant contributions to the theory of elasticity and number theory.
3. Lord George Germaine (1716-1785), a British politician and Secretary of State for the Colonies during the American Revolutionary War.
4. Lord Walter Germaine (1846-1912), a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of British Guiana (now Guyana) from 1896 to 1901.
5. Edmond Germaine (1903-1983), a French painter and illustrator known for his portraits and landscapes.

The surname Germaine has also been associated with various place names in France, such as Germaine-la-Blanche in the department of Haute-Saône, and Germaine-sous-Coulombs in the department of Seine-et-Marne, further reinforcing its French origins and historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Germaine

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

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 Germaine 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 Germaine 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 Germaine was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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