I’ve been fascinated by today’s choice ever since I found her in a 1972 novel.
Thanks to Charmaine for suggesting her own name as our Baby Name of the Day.
It’s easy to suffer from the misconception that American parents used to choose from a relatively fixed set of given names. Sure, some of them sound dated today. But at least, conventional wisdom goes, parents weren’t just making things up.
Ahem.
Back in 1924, Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings wrote a play called What Price Glory. It’s the story of two US Marines, long-time rivals, who find themselves stationed in France during World War I, both vying for the affections of the local innkeeper’s daughter.
The daughter’s name is Charmaine de la Cognac, and it sounds French. But could you have found a mademoiselle answering to Charmaine in France in 1924?
I’m not so sure.
There are a handful of women named Charmaine in the US Census records before the play was written. But according to Meilleurs Prenoms, there haven’t been many Frenchwomen given the name in the 20th century – it peaked in 1992, with just four newborn Charmaines.
There are a few possible origins for the name:
- Charmion appears in the historical record as one of Cleopatra’s servants. Shakespeare spelled the name Charmian in his 1606 Antony and Cleopatra;
- Then there’s Lorraine, a name borrowed from the French region. Lorraine ranked in the US Top 100 from 1918 through 1948. Elaine also ranked in the Top 100 from the 1920s into the 1950s. By 1920, Germaine and Romaine were also in use. The -aine ending was having a moment.
It’s not clear whether Anderson and Stalling thought they were inventing a suitable name for their charming leading lady, or whether they’d heard it elsewhere and believed it was as suitable a choice as Marianne.
What’s certain is that What Price Glory became a silent film in 1926 with the stunning Dolores del Rio playing the lovely Charmaine. Then came the 1952 version with the Paris-born Corinne Calvet in the role.
A song composed for the first film was titled “Charmaine.” It was originally a waltz, but you can find many different versions, both with and without the lyrics.
“Charmaine” was a hit in 1927, spending seven weeks at #1, and it resurfaced again and again over the years. British duo The Bachelors enjoyed modest success with this version in 1963.
- Best known as eldest daughter Leisel in The Sound of Music, Charmian Carr was named after Shakespeare’s character;
- Then there’s my Charmaine – a character in Ira Levin’s creepy novel The Stepford Wives. Tina Louise – you know her as Ginger on Gilligan’s Island – played Charmaine in the 1975 film version, a glamorous, tennis-playing wife. She’s written out in the 2004 reboot of the movie;
- If you followed The Golden Girls, you might recall that Southern belle Blanche had an older sister called Charmaine.
With Charlotte so popular, and Hollywood-inspired Charlize in use, it is hard to dismiss a Char- name as hopelessly out of style. But like Cheryl or Charlene, Charmaine sounds committed to an earlier generation.
Parents seeking a name with French flair today are more likely to use Genevieve or Vivienne, and yet, let’s not count Charmaine out yet. French names comes in waves, and in another few decades, Suzette, Charmaine, and Yvonne could be on the cutting edge.
In the DVD commentary for Sound of Music, the actress pronounces her name Shar-mee-an (Charmian), while Charmaine is Shar-mayne. I like Charmian better because I like it pronounced that way. Not a fan of Charmaine, though, maybe because I have been watching a lot of Golden Girls and Charmaine is an awful character!
I know a Charmian in her mid-30s, also a ballerina. I think now that she’s older she uses her full name but she used to go exclusively by Charm.
I went to middle school with sisters named Celeste and Charmaine. At the time their names seemed old-fashioned and a little bit funky. Now I realize in a school full of Jennifers, Andreas and Heathers, their names stuck out in a good way.
I like the -aine names best as middle names.
I have always really disliked this name, and at first glance thought the post was about my name!
The only ends in -aine name I really like and would ever use is my grandmother’s name, Elaine, which is also my and my mother’s middle name.
I don’t really like Charmaine because as a child I knew a rather mean woman called Char, though I’m not sure if/what Char was short for.
Oddly enough though, Char has not spoiled my love of the name Charlotte…maybe because I love Lottie for Charlotte, from A Little Princess 🙂
I knew a number of women named Charmaine growing up, all of them East Indian. The information you’ve provided makes me wonder how common the name is in the more French regions of Canada — I don’t believe I’ve ever come across a Charmaine here so far, although I’m sure they exist.
I know the name is similar to my own, but it does come across as dated to me. Plus I’ve never been much of a fan of names I’d classify as “cutesy”, and Charmaine is just a wee bit too close to the word charming for my personal preference.
I keep wanting to end “la” in the middle and make it Charlamaine, like Charlemagne. Is that weird?
My first thought was that this was somehow a contraction of Charlemagne too!
I think I could really get behind Charmaine if this wasn’t so fresh in my mind…
Thanks for sharing Erin, that is hilarious! And now I will forever picture Charmaine as a beautiful 14 year old “mixed race” woman with green eyes!
I went to school with a girl named Charmaine. She was beautiful and a ballerina so that is what I think about with that name.
My MIL has a girlfriend named Charmian, she’s a lovely woman (she’s in her late 60’s now, along with Honey). I seem to think she thinks her parents made it up! I’ll have to shoot his Mom an email and tell her to tell Charmian to look.
As far as Charmaine goes, I agree. She sounds dated to my ears too and needs some more time to sound fresh again. Maybe as a middle today?
And FWIW: I adore Yvonne. Always have, so elegant! 🙂