I have a summer job packing boxes with textbooks for students. We get to see the students' names too, which is a joy.
Today I worked at a school for 12-16 year olds (average) who are generally less intelligent and/or poorer than most students the same age, and come from various (non-Western) backgrounds. I came across the name "Chaimae" thrice. I think two were about the same age (15?) and one was a little older (16 or 17?).
I don't know the gender (my guess is most likely feminine) or ethnic background (possibly Moroccan, after some Googling). I can say it's probably unlikely it's derived from
Chaim since Jewish people are rarely seen here (east of the Netherlands) and I believe they usually go to Jewish schools, and they're usually well off financially and maybe go to fancier schools.
My first hunch on the pronunciation was chie-MAY.
All I could find that was trustworthy is this:
https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nvb/populariteit/naam/Chaimae (
Dutch)
Does anyone have any idea where it comes from?
Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood -
George Orwell, 1984