Charmaine

From Namespedia - Names Meaning and Origins

Name: Charmaine

Gender: Feminine

Origin: North America

Language: English

Thematic: Unknown Thematic

Meaning: Charming, delightful.

Comments: The name Charmaine appears to have been invented in the early years of the 20th century. It may have been formed by combining the word charm (derived from the Latin word carmen, meaning 'song') with the suffix -aine (as in Lorraine). Alternatively, it may be a variation of the name Charmian, the Anglicized form of the Late Greek name Kharmion, which is a diminutive of the word kharma, meaning 'delight'. Or perhaps whoever first came up with the name had both these derivations in mind. In 1924 the successful play "What Price Glory" by Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings featured a principal female character named Charmaine. In 1926 this play was turned into an equally successful silent movie. The movie inspired the writing of the popular song "Charmaine", which in 1927 spent seven weeks at the top of the United States charts. In 1944 the song featured in the musical film "Two Girls and a Sailor", and in 1966 it was a big hit for the Irish group the Bachelors. With all this help from show business, it is not surprising that Charmaine became an extremely popular name.