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

Fain, 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 Fain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fain in America

Fain is the 4379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fain surname appeared 8,122 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Fain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fain 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 Fain

The surname Fain is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "fain," meaning "glad" or "willing." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone with a cheerful or obliging disposition.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Fain date back to the 13th century in various regions of England, such as Yorkshire and Gloucestershire. In the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1273, there is a reference to a Walter le Fayn.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings, including Fayn, Fayne, and Feyn, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and writing at the time. Some of these variations can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the surname Fain was associated with the village of Fyne, located in Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in that area.

Notable individuals with the surname Fain throughout history include:

1. John Fain (1615-1681), an English clergyman and writer known for his work "Weights and Measures" published in 1677.
2. Samuel Fain (1776-1856), an American farmer and politician who served in the Virginia House of Delegates.
3. Jane Fain (1807-1888), an American philanthropist and benefactor of various educational institutions in Tennessee.
4. Samson Fain (1834-1901), a Russian-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Fain Family Foundation in New York.
5. Walter Fain (1891-1973), an American baseball player who played for the Cleveland Indians in the early 20th century.

While the Fain surname is not as common as some others, it has a long and interesting history, with recorded instances dating back to the medieval period in England and connections to various places and notable individuals over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fain

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

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

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

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