Find out how popular the last name Bain is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bain.

Bain, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bain in America

Bain is the 2082nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bain surname appeared 17,371 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Bain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bain to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bain

The surname Bain originates from the medieval French word "bain," meaning "bath" or "bathe." It is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the 11th or 12th century. The name may have been occupational, referring to someone who worked in a bathhouse or operated a public bath.

Alternatively, the name could have derived from a place name associated with a bath or bathing area. For instance, some early bearers of the name may have hailed from towns or villages with names like "Bain" or "Bains."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bain surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England, compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Robertus de Bain, suggesting that the name had already been established in Normandy before the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Notable individuals with the surname Bain include Alexander Bain (1810-1877), a Scottish philosopher and educational theorist who made significant contributions to the field of psychology and the study of logic. Another prominent bearer of the name was Ebenezer Bain (1804-1882), a Scottish engineer and inventor who patented several important mining and agricultural inventions.

In the literary world, James Bain (1817-1898) was a Scottish author and journalist who wrote extensively about the history and culture of his native land. Likewise, Andrew Geddes Bain (1797-1864) was a Scottish-born explorer, geologist, and road builder in South Africa, known for his pioneering work in mapping and constructing roads through the rugged terrain of the Cape Colony.

The Bain surname has also been associated with notable figures in the realm of politics and public service. For example, Sir James Bain (1842-1925) was a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and as Minister for Public Works.

While the Bain surname has its roots in medieval France, it has since spread and become established in various countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bain

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bain.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bain was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bain has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bain was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bain, please contact us.

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