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

Baines, 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 Baines surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Baines in America

Baines is the 5313th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Baines surname appeared 6,557 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Baines.

We can also compare 2010 data for Baines 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 Baines

The surname Baines is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "baine," meaning "russet" or "pale-red brown," and was likely a nickname given to someone with reddish-brown hair or complexion.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Baines can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where it appears as "Bane." Over time, the name evolved into its current spelling of "Baines," which is most commonly found in the north of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Roger Baines, a landowner from Lancashire who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records of 1292. Another notable figure was Thomas Baines (c. 1480-1549), a prominent English Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Master of the College of the Clergy in Lichfield.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Baines was often associated with the woolen trade, as many families with this surname were involved in the production and sale of woolen goods in the textile centers of northern England.

In the 18th century, Edward Baines (1774-1848) was a prominent English journalist and politician who founded the Leeds Mercury newspaper in 1818. He was also a member of Parliament and an advocate for parliamentary reform.

Another notable figure was Thomas Baines (1822-1875), an English artist and explorer who is renowned for his paintings and sketches of African landscapes and wildlife. He accompanied several major expeditions to South Africa and was one of the first Europeans to document the Victoria Falls.

In the 19th century, Sir John Athelstane Baines (1853-1935) was a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from 1914 to 1923.

While the name Baines has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and colonization. However, its origins can be traced back to the 12th century and the Old French word "baine," reflecting the rich history and evolution of this surname over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Baines

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

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 Baines 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 Baines 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 Baines was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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