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I've never met a girl Germaine, but I've seen several boys named Jermaine, and that is pronounced jer-MAYN. Since it's French, I'd almost assume that Germaine was pronounced something like JARE-mayn, which would at least set it apart from the unattractive (imo) Jermaine.

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~Heather~

zhair-men, but I'm French.

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~~ Claire ~~

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My ! are Alia, Eidel, Enola, Israel, Dudel, Yuri, Lina, Lorelei, Leilani, Owen, Julian, Glorinda, Mirinda
My ? are Hillel, Meshullam, Johnny, Ginny, Cordelia, Fiammetta, Yocheved
My ~ are Tehila, Tilda, Hailey, Gillian, Huldah
My / are Aglaia and July

My first instinct would be to pronounce it the French way, "zhehr-MENN." I love this name in French.

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But a more realistic way would be, "jer-MAIN." That's how I hear English speakers say Germaine Greer. It loses in the transition, I fear.

I pronounce it JER-mayn. Even with the fact that anyone named this would most likely get Germ as her nickname, I quite like it ;) It nicely unusual, and it looks and sounds good. Still, I'm not so sure wheter I would use it myself.

I'd say jer-MAYNE. I'm not sure I like it, but I could warm up to it, I think. It's appropriately dated that I could see it falling into something of a "tragically hip" category. A teenaged Germaine would make a great lead guitarist; a child Germaine, I can't yet picture.

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The name first reminds me of Jermaine Jackson, who infamously named a child Jermajesty. But he was an attractive kid and relatively normal for the Jackson family, so that's not too bad an association. Then I think of little Germaine, one of the youngest children in Yours, Mine, and Ours (the good version)--she was adorable. Finally, it sounds very much like "germinate" to me.

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I think I could get used to it. The nickname possibilities are pretty few--who wants to be Gerri or Germy?--but the sound is different. I'd be rather excited if I met a little girl by name of Germaine, I think.

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Array

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The dogs on main street howl
`Cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain't a boy--no I'm a man,
And I believe in a promised land.

I say jer-MAYN, and I love it. I think Germaine, Romaine, and Charmaine are all just unusual and strong.

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