Germain Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Germain last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Germain last name
Meaning of the Germain last name: brother / Germanus. Germain is a French surname from the personal name Germain, from Latin Germanus, "brother" or "from Germany". Saint Germain of Auxerre and Saint Germain of Paris spread the given name. The last name is common around Paris and in eastern France.
Arms associated with the Germain name
Coats of arms associated with the Germain surname follow French heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Germain family history
This is only a glimpse of the Germain story. The full Germain history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Germain coat of arms. Get the full Germain report.
Germain name FAQ
What does the Germain name mean?
Brother / Germanus. Common variants include Germaine, Jermaine.
Where does the Germain surname come from?
It originates in France, and is also found in Canada, Belgium and Switzerland.
Is there a Germain coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Germain coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Albert Dauzat, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France (Larousse); Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille (Perrin, 1991).