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

Cain, 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 Cain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cain in America

Cain is the 551st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cain surname appeared 60,948 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 21 people would have the surname Cain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cain 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 Cain

The surname Cain is of English origin, derived from the biblical name Cain, the son of Adam and Eve who slew his brother Abel. It is believed to have been initially used as a surname in the 12th century.

The name Cain is thought to have originated from the Hebrew word "qanah," meaning "to acquire" or "to possess." This may have been a reference to Cain's occupation as a farmer or landowner.

One of the earliest records of the surname Cain can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England after the Norman Conquest. The name appears as "Cain" and "Caine" in various locations across the country.

In the 13th century, a family with the surname Cain was recorded in Gloucestershire, England. Notably, Sir Thomas Cain (c. 1270-1340) was a prominent English landowner and knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

The surname also has connections to place names in England, such as Caine in Wiltshire and Caine's Farm in Hampshire. These locations may have contributed to the surname's spread and variations in spelling, like Cayne or Kaine.

During the 16th century, the name Cain gained recognition through the work of the English poet and playwright Thomas Sackville (1536-1608), who wrote the influential tragedy "Gorboduc" and was a co-author of the famous collection "A Myrrour for Magistrates."

Another notable figure was Sir Henry Cain (1597-1671), an English politician and member of the House of Commons during the English Civil War. He was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause and played a role in the trial and execution of King Charles I.

In the 18th century, John Cain (1726-1798) was a prominent English Baptist minister and author, known for his works on theology and religious controversies of the time.

The surname Cain also has a rich history in other countries, such as Ireland, where it is believed to have originated as an Anglicization of the Gaelic name "O'Cahan" or "O'Cathain."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cain

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

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

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

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