The name Fontaine is of French origin and has a rich history behind it. It comes from the Latin word "fontana," which means fountain or source of water. In France, the name was often given to people who lived near a fountain or had a connection to one in some other way.
Fontaine as a surname can be traced back to at least the 12th century in France. It was typically used to denote someone who lived by a fountain or worked as a fontainier, which is French for someone who maintains public fountains and water systems.
Over time, Fontaine became a popular given name as well. In some cases, it was used as a given name to honor the family's history or connection to water sources. Others chose it simply because they liked its sound or meaning.
Today, Fontaine continues to be used both as a surname and a given name in France and beyond. It remains strongly associated with water and has been adopted by people around the world who appreciate its unique heritage and meaning.
The name Fontaine has seen a varied pattern of usage as a given name in the United States over the past century. In the early to mid-20th century, there were periods where the name was quite popular, with peaks in births occurring in the late 1940s and early 1970s.
During these years, the number of newborn girls named Fontaine ranged from a low of five in some years to a high of thirteen in others. The most notable year for the name Fontaine was 1972, with eleven births recorded, suggesting that it was particularly fashionable during this time.
However, the popularity of the name began to decline steadily after the 1980s. From the mid-1980s onwards, there were fewer than ten births per year for the name Fontaine, indicating that it was no longer a highly popular choice among parents.
Despite this decrease in usage, the name Fontaine has remained consistently present over the years, with at least five births recorded annually from 1992 to 2007. This suggests that while it may not be as trendy as it once was, the name Fontaine continues to hold a unique appeal for some parents.
In total, since 1928, there have been 193 newborn girls named Fontaine in the United States. Although this is not an overwhelming number when considering the vast amount of names that exist and are used each year, it nonetheless demonstrates that Fontaine has maintained its status as a distinctive and enduring name choice over time.