Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1972

Germaine

Gender Unisex · 77% girls Rank 2025 #13,789

A surname transferred from the given name, a variant of Germain.

Rank 2025
#13,789
among girls
Babies in 2025
13
named Germaine
How common
1 in 267,878
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1972
250 babies
All-time total
10,274
#1,927 all-time among girls
First recorded
1895
in Social Security records

Germaine popularity over time

10,274 babies have been named Germaine since 1895, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s 27 – 27 3 – #1,314
1900s 230 – 230 23 +752% #529
1910s 1,028 – 1,028 103 +347% #495
1920s 1,644 – 1,644 164 +60% #480
1930s 1,354 – 1,354 135 -18% #505
1940s 809 – 809 81 -40% #765
1950s 882 – 882 88 +9% #947
1960s 939 7 946 95 +7% #945
1970s 560 972 1,532 153 +62% #1,165
1980s 231 564 795 80 -48% #2,421
1990s 129 359 488 49 -39% #4,422
2000s 43 265 308 31 -37% #8,377
2010s 18 155 173 17 -44% #13,849
2020s (to 2025) 16 42 58 10 -44% #13,789

The story of Germaine

Germaine is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #13,789 in 2025 with 6 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1895, 10,274 American babies have been named Germaine, about 77% girls and 23% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1972, when 250 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Germaine stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Germaine?

The median living Germaine is about 53 years old; half are between 42 and 68. An estimated 5,700 people named Germaine are alive in the United States today.

median 53 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Germaine year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 6 #13,789 7 #10,028
2024 – – 6 #11,388
2023 5 #16,001 10 #7,901
2022 5 #16,155 5 #12,994
2021 – – 8 #9,111
2020 – – 6 #11,064
2019 – – 11 #7,323
2018 – – 5 #12,813
2017 5 #16,720 17 #5,361
2016 – – 6 #11,186
2015 – – 14 #6,094
2014 – – 14 #6,098
2013 – – 11 #7,198
2012 6 #15,615 25 #4,050
2011 7 #13,849 23 #4,266
2010 – – 29 #3,656
2009 – – 26 #3,954
2008 – – 23 #4,307
2007 – – 26 #3,930
2006 5 #18,098 21 #4,409
2005 – – 25 #3,753
2004 5 #17,002 31 #3,179
2003 6 #14,470 24 #3,659
2002 6 #14,191 37 #2,612
2001 12 #8,377 23 #3,660
2000 9 #10,172 29 #3,017
1995 12 #7,198 35 #2,267
1990 22 #4,422 44 #1,789
1985 21 #3,898 49 #1,396
1980 31 #2,891 93 #925
1975 46 #1,940 97 #845
1970 71 #1,448 29 #1,591
1965 80 #1,201 – –
1960 116 #999 – –
1955 74 #1,159 – –
1950 75 #1,065 – –
1945 73 #883 – –
1940 84 #765 – –
1935 141 #541 – –
1930 147 #560 – –
1925 164 #561 – –
1920 145 #597 – –
1915 137 #546 – –
1910 45 #632 – –
1905 20 #833 – –
1900 13 #1,074 – –
1895 6 #1,489 – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Germaine

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Germaine Greer Germaine Greer Australian writer and public intellectual (born 1939) Contemporary
  2. 2 Germaine de Staël Germaine de Staël French novelist and woman of letters (1766–1817) 18th century
  3. 3 Germaine of Foix Germaine of Foix Queen of Aragon from 1506 to 1516 1488–1536 · Medieval
  4. 4 Germaine Tillion Germaine Tillion French anthropologist, member of the French Resistance in World War II (1907–2008) Contemporary
  5. 5 Germaine Dulac Germaine Dulac French film director and producer 1882–1942 · 19th century
  6. 6 Germaine Mason Germaine Mason Jamaican-British athlete (1983–2017) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Germaine, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Germaine?

The median living Germaine is about 53 years old. Half of all living Germaines are between 42 and 68 years old.

How many people named Germaine are alive today?

An estimated 5,700 people named Germaine are alive in the United States, based on 10,274 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Germaine mean?

A surname transferred from the given name, a variant of Germain.

How popular is the name Germaine in 2025?

Germaine ranked #13,789 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 6 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Germaine?

10,274 babies have been named Germaine in the United States since 1895, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Germaine most popular?

Germaine peaked in 1972, when 250 newborns received the name.

Is Germaine a boy or girl name?

Germaine is used for both: about 77% of babies named Germaine have been girls and 23% boys.

Is the name Germaine rising or falling?

Germaine is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Germaine?

Well-known people named Germaine include Germaine Greer (writer), Germaine de Staël (writer), Germaine of Foix (politician).

Names like Germaine

Names that sound and feel close to Germaine: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Germaine with similar names → More names starting with G →