The genus, originally spelled Plumiera, is named in honor of the seventeenth-century French botanist Charles Plumier, who traveled to the New World documenting many plant and animal species. The common name "Frangipani" comes from an Italian noble family, a sixteenth-century marquess of which invented a plumeria-scented perfume. Many English speakers also simply use the generic name "plumeria". In Hawaii the name is "melia". In Sri Lanka it is referred to as araliya and (in English) as the Temple Tree.
These are now common naturalised plants in southern and southeastern Asia. In local folk beliefs they provide shelter to ghosts and demons. The scent of the Plumeria has been associated with a vampire in Malay folklore, the pontianak. They are associated with temples in both Hindu and Buddhist cultures.
In several Pacific islands, such as Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga and the Cook Islands Plumeria species are used for making leis. In modern Polynesian culture, it can be worn by women to indicate their relationship status - over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken.
P. alba is the national flower of Nicaragua and Laos, where it is known under the local name "Sacuanjoche" (Nicaragua) and "Champa" (Laos).
In Bangladeshi culture most white flowers, and particularly plumeria (Bengali: চম্পা chômpa or চাঁপা chãpa), are associated with funerals and death.
In the Philippines and Indonesia, Plumeria is often associated with ghosts and graveyard. Plumerias are often planted on cemetery grounds in both countries. Balinese Hindus use the flowers in their temple offerings.
Indian incenses containing Plumeria have "Champa" in their name, for example Nag Champa.
In Hindu mythology, there is a saying "champa tujhmey teen gun:- Rang, Roop, aur Bass; avgun tujhmey ek hi ke bhanwar na aaye pass" (Hey Champa you have three qualities color, beauty and fragnance but only thing you lack is that moths never sit on you.)"roop tajey to Radhikey, or bhanwar Krishna ko daas, is mariyaadey ke liye bhanwar na aaye pass" (the beauty of champa is compared to Radhika, who is wife of lord Krishna and moths are servants of Lord Krishna and this is the reason moths don't sit on champa.)
In Sri Lankan tradition, Plumeria is associated with worship. One of the heavenly damsels in the frescoes of the 5th Century rock fortress, Sigiriya, holds a 5-petalled flower in her right hand which is indistinguishable from Plumeria.
In Eastern Africa, frangipangi are sometimes referred to in Swahili love poems.
