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

Gain, 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 Gain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gain in America

Gain is the 19703rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gain surname appeared 1,367 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 Gain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gain 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 Gain

The surname GAIN is an English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "gaaigner", which means "to earn" or "to gain". It originated in the late 12th century and was initially used to refer to someone who earned their living through a particular trade or occupation.

The earliest recorded use of the surname GAIN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where a person named William Gain was mentioned. Another early reference is in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, which lists a person named Richard le Gain.

During the Middle Ages, the surname GAIN was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire in the south-west of England. It is likely that the name originated in these areas, as many early records of the surname can be found there.

In the 14th century, the surname GAIN appeared in various forms, such as Gayne, Gaine, and Gayn, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common at the time. One notable individual with this surname was John Gayn, who was a member of the Parliament of England in 1329.

By the 16th century, the surname GAIN had become more widespread across England. One prominent figure from this period was Sir Thomas Gayn (1506-1555), who was a wealthy merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 17th century, the surname GAIN was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as Gaine or Gayne. One example is Robert Gaine (1610-1680), a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works.

Another notable individual with the surname GAIN was Sir William Gaine (1666-1737), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in the early 18th century.

Throughout history, the surname GAIN has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, and craftsmanship. It continues to be a relatively common surname, particularly in England and parts of the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gain

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

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

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

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