Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Jermaine

Jermaine is an Americanized respelling of the French masculine name Germain which itself comes from an ancient Roman name “Germanus” meaning “brother” in Latin (derived from “germen” meaning “seed, branch, off-spring”). Although there were several early Roman citizens who bore the name Germanus, what really served to popularize the name by the Middle Ages were a couple of early saints. Germanus of Auxerre was a 4th-5th century bishop in Gaul (a Western European province of the Roman Empire) who was sent to the province of Britannia (England) after the Roman soldiers returned to Rome (which was then under Barbaric attacks). It was Germanus’ job to ensure the British people did not revert back to paganism by breaking from the Roman Catholic Church. Some historians believe that St. Patrick was one of his pupils (before St. Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland). His cult grew during the Middle Ages and he was particularly revered in France. Adding additional saintly currency to the name Germanus in France was the 6th century St. Germain of Paris better known as “Father to the Poor” due to his generous almsgiving. During medieval times, St. Germain’s relics were carried down the streets of Paris in religious processions during periods of crisis (such as when the plague hit). It was common during the Middle Ages for parents to name their children after saints, and the French often adopted Germain (Germanus). African-Americans in the United States borrowed this old Latin/French moniker and put their own unique spelling stamp on it: Jermaine. Usage of the name Jermaine was influenced in large part by Jermaine Jackson, one of the “brothers” in the famous Jackson 5 singing group of the 1970s.

All About the Baby Name – Jermaine

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME JERMAINE

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME JERMAINE

The name Jermaine came charging on to the American male naming charts in 1970. Not coincidentally, this was the same year that Jermaine Jackson came bursting on to the American music scene along with his brothers in the pop-group The Jackson 5. Not only did Jermaine come into regular use in the 1970s, but the name saw rapid and impressive success in a short period of time. By 1973, the name achieved his peak popularity at #127 on the charts. Since the name was mainly embraced by African-Americans (12% of the U.S. population in 1970), we cannot underscore what a remarkable achievement this represented. Jermaine was hot, hot, hot in the early 1970s and so was his name! Of course what goes up usually comes down, and so did the popularity of Jermaine by the 1980s. At this point, Jermaine was clearly in the shadow of his younger, hyper-talented brother Michael. As a masculine given name, Jermaine is still hanging on the charts at respectable levels of lower moderation, but the height of his glory days are clearly behind him. Still, Jermaine is a cool, confident name. It’s ancient yet modern. French yet African-American. Strong and handsome yet friendly and unpretentious. And the “brotherly” etymology endows Jermaine with a warm and comforting quality.

Quick Facts

ON JERMAINE

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

African-American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

738

PRONUNCIATION:

jər-MAIN

SIMPLE MEANING:

Brother

Characteristics

OF JERMAINE

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Jermaine

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME JERMAINE

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Jermaine

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME JERMAINE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Jermaine


Popular Songs

ON JERMAINE

Jerry Jermaine
a song by Virginia Coalition

Famous People

NAMED JERMAINE

Jermaine Jackson (musician/singer, member of Jackson 5)
Jermaine Dye (baseball player)
Jermaine Dupri (rapper/record producer)
Jermaine O'Neal (basketball player)
Jermaine Beckford (soccer player)
Jermaine Pennant (soccer player)
Jermaine Jenas (soccer player)
Jermaine Stewart (R&B singer)
Jermaine Jones (soccer player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED JERMAINE

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Jermaine

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME JERMAINE

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Jermaine