Germaine

Germaine is a feminine given name of French origin, commonly considered the feminine form of Germain. The root Germain comes from the Latin Germānus, meaning genuine, kin, or related. The name is historically associated with Saint Germain, which helped to popularize its use in Catholic Europe. In Francophone communities, Germaine has appeared since the Middle Ages and remains a recognizable, though not extremely common, given name in modern times. It is less frequently used in contemporary English-speaking contexts, where Germain and Germaina may be encountered as variants.

Variants and related forms include Germain (masculine) and Germane in some languages. The spelling Germaine is used in various cultures and can appear as a surname as well, though as a given name it is more common.

Notable people named Germaine include Germaine de Staël (Anne Louise Germaine Necker, 1766–1817), a prominent French-Swiss writer and salonnière; Germaine Greer (born 1939), an Australian feminist writer and critic; Germaine Tillion (1907–2008), a French ethnologist and Resistance member; and Germaine Acogny (born 1944), a Senegalese-French dancer and choreographer. The name has also appeared in literature and arts, reflecting its long association with French culture and its enduring presence in various societies.