This is an interesting dialectual variant of the ethnic name German, which itself derives from the old French "germain" meaning cousin or, of the same stock (from the Latin "German" a bud or shoot). Alternatively it has been proposed that the people were originally known as the spear-men from the old Germanic "geri", or"gari". In the case of ethnic names, these tended to be acquired when a person migrated a considerable distance from their original home, or perhaps as a nickname for character traits associated with that country. Its present form is more commonly found in the west country. Recorded in St. Lukes Old Street, Finsbury in 1754 is the christening of an infant, one, Edward Jarmaine. Modern spellings of the name are recorded as Jarmain, Jarman, Jermyn, Jermin and Jerman.The Coat of Arms most associated with the family has the blazon of silver shield thereon a red lion rampant guardant. The crest being a red griffin passant. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Jermain, which was dated 1279, in the "Hundred Rolls Oxfordshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.