2000
#14,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,893
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Caines
Derived from the Welsh surname Cain, meaning "clear" or "fair," likely referring to a person with light-colored hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,406 Americans carry the last name Caines. That puts it at #13,798 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,458 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caines surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Caines with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,458
Census rank
#13,798
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,098 bearers of the surname Caines in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13798th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caines, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caines
The surname Caines is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cæne," meaning brave or bold, and was likely initially used as a nickname for someone with those qualities.
The earliest known record of the name Caines appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a person named Walter Caines is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century in parts of England.
During the medieval period, the name Caines was primarily found in the counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire. It is believed that the name may have originated in these regions or nearby areas.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Caines was Sir John Caines, a member of the English gentry who lived in the late 15th century. He was a landowner in Oxfordshire and is mentioned in various records from that time.
In the 16th century, the name Caines appeared in the parish records of several villages in Oxfordshire, including Bampton and Burford. This indicates that the name was well-established in that county by that time.
Another notable figure with the surname Caines was William Caines, a prominent English author and translator who lived from 1609 to 1677. He is best known for his translation of the Spanish novel "Don Quixote" into English.
In the 17th century, the name Caines also appeared in the records of the nearby county of Berkshire. One example is Thomas Caines, a landowner who was born in Bray, Berkshire, in 1632.
During the 18th century, the name Caines continued to be found in Oxfordshire and surrounding counties. One notable figure from this period was John Caines, a clergyman and antiquarian who lived from 1740 to 1821. He was the author of several books on the history and antiquities of Oxfordshire.
In the 19th century, the surname Caines spread to other parts of England, as well as to other English-speaking countries through immigration. One notable person with this name was George Caines, an English actor and playwright who lived from 1819 to 1890.
Overall, the surname Caines has a long and well-documented history in England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire, where it is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered brave or bold.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caines
Among Census respondents with the surname Caines, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Caines bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Caines surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.9% · 1,025
- Black or African American39.9% · 837
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 142
- Two or more races3.7% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caines
Caines appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,320
+427 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 1,280 places
2020
#13,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,098
-222 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 621 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,457 | 1,893 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,177 | 2,320 | 0.79 | +427 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 1,280 places |
| 2020 | #13,798 | 2,098 | 0.70 | -222 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 621 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Caines surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,177 | #13,798 | -4.7% |
| Count | 2,320 | 2,098 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.70 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caines bearers went from 2,320 to 2,098 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 621 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,177 to #13,798.
FAQ
Caines surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caines?
Name Census estimates that about 2,406 living Americans carry the surname Caines. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,458 residents.
How common is Caines?
Caines ranks #13,798 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,098 people with the surname Caines. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Caines.
Has Caines become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caines went from 2,320 recorded bearers to 2,098. That is a decrease of 222 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,177 to #13,798.
What does the Census say about the background of Caines?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caines, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Hispanic (6.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Caines in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.9% (1,025 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caines appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.9%), Black (39.9%), Hispanic (6.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Caines (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Caines mean?
Derived from the Welsh surname Cain, meaning "clear" or "fair," likely referring to a person with light-colored hair or complexion. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Caines (0.70 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Caines?
Want to know how many people have the last name Caines? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.