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

Dain, 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 Dain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dain in America

Dain is the 30570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dain surname appeared 763 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dain 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 Dain

The surname Dain originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dàna," which means "bold" or "daring." The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 14th century, with references to individuals named Dain appearing in various Scottish records and documents.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dain can be found in the Registry of the Great Seal of Scotland, which mentions a Robert Dain from the county of Perthshire in the year 1375. Additionally, the name is mentioned in the Black Book of Taymouth, a historic manuscript from the late 15th century that contains records of land transactions in the region of Breadalbane, Scotland.

In the 16th century, the Dain surname was particularly prominent in the Scottish Highlands, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such example is John Dain, a laird (landowner) from the district of Glenorchy, who was involved in various feuds and conflicts with neighboring clans during the turbulent period of the Scottish clan wars.

As the centuries passed, the Dain surname spread to other parts of Scotland and beyond. In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the Scottish Lowlands, where they became known as the Dains of Dykehead. One notable figure from this lineage was James Dain (1630-1698), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Glasgow.

Another significant individual with the Dain surname was Sir William Dain (1752-1829), a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in several battles and was knighted for his bravery and leadership.

In the 19th century, the Dain surname was also found in various parts of England, likely due to migration from Scotland. One notable English figure with this surname was Charles Dain (1815-1889), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London and other cities.

Throughout its history, the Dain surname has been associated with various place names and locations in Scotland, such as Dainholm, Daintown, and Dainfield. These places likely derived their names from the presence of Dain families in the area or were named after individuals with the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dain

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

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

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

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