Explore the Family Name Germain
The meaning of Germain
French and West Indian (mainly Haiti): from the French personal name Germain, Latin Germanus. This was popular in France, where it had been borne by a 5th-century Christian saint, bishop of Auxerre. It derives from Latin germanus ‘brother, cousin’ (originally an adjective meaning ‘of the same stock’, from Latin germen ‘bud, shoot’) or, alternatively, from the ethnic name Germanus ‘German’. In the Italian, the popularity of the equivalent personal name (see Germano) has been enhanced by association with the meaning ‘brother (in God)’. This surname is most common in Haiti. History: This surname is listed in the register of Huguenot ancestors recognized by the Huguenot Society of America. Some characteristic forenames: French/Haitian Pierre, Armand, Jacques, Raoul, Wesner, Andre, Andree, Camil, Camille, Christophe, Dieudonne.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Germain in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Germain has increased in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000 it was ranked as the 5044th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had jumped to the 4816th position, marking a 4.52% increase. The number of people bearing the surname also rose from 6380 in 2000 to 7332 in 2010, representing a 14.92% growth. Consequently, the proportion of people with the surname Germain per 100k individuals also grew from 2.37 to 2.49 over this ten-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,044 | #4,816 | 4.52% |
| Count | 6,380 | 7,332 | 14.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.37 | 2.49 | 5.06% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Germain
Discussing ethnicity based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the Germain surname shows substantial diversity. There's been a noticeable shift in the ethnic identity associated with this surname from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of those identifying as White dropped from 71.02% to 62.08%, while the percentage of those identifying as Black increased from 21.82% to 30.37%. There was also an increase among those identifying as Hispanic, rising from 2.71% to 4.24%. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those of two or more races decreased slightly, and the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.02% | 62.08% | -12.59% |
| Black | 21.82% | 30.37% | 39.18% |
| Hispanic | 2.71% | 4.24% | 56.46% |
| Two or More Races | 3.28% | 2.13% | -35.06% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.66% | 0.6% | -9.09% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.52% | 0.57% | 9.62% |
Germain ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Germain is British & Irish, which comprises 34.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.3%) and Italian (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 34.4% |
| French & German | 27.3% |
| Italian | 6.5% |
| Other | 31.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Germain
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Germain have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 61.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 61.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 61.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 61.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 60.10% |
What Germain haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Germain is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and E-M180, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gee, Jack, Gibbons, Prince, Jeffrey, Moon, Rosser, Sherman, Fennell, Howe.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Germain surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Germain have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Germain" Surname 28.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Germain" Surname 23.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Germain" Surname 10.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Germain" Surname 13.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Germain?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Germain are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition