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

Gaines, 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 Gaines surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaines in America

Gaines is the 788th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaines surname appeared 43,821 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname Gaines.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaines 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 Gaines

The surname Gaines originated in Normandy, a region in northern France, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "gaaign," which means "gain" or "profit." The name was likely given to someone who worked as a merchant or trader, or someone who was known for their business acumen and ability to make gains.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gaines surname dates back to the 11th century, in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named William Gaines, who held estates in Cambridgeshire.

In the 13th century, the Gaines family was prominent in the county of Essex, England. Records show that a Sir John Gaines was a knight and landowner in the village of Great Baddow during this time period.

During the 16th century, the Gaines surname spread across England and Scotland. One notable figure was Sir Edward Gaines (1508-1558), an English politician and member of Parliament who served as Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.

The Gaines surname also has a strong presence in Ireland, where it is often spelled "Gaine" or "Gayne." One of the earliest recorded Irish individuals with this surname was John Gaine (c. 1630-1690), a printer and bookseller in Dublin who published some of the first Irish language books.

In the United States, the Gaines surname can be traced back to the colonial era. One of the earliest American settlers with this name was John Gaines (1685-1753), a Virginia planter and landowner who served as a justice of the peace and a member of the House of Burgesses.

Another notable American with the Gaines surname was Edmund Pendleton Gaines (1777-1849), a distinguished military officer who served in the War of 1812 and the Seminole Wars. He rose to the rank of major general and was considered a hero for his defense of Fort Erie during the War of 1812.

In the 19th century, the Gaines surname was also associated with slavery and plantation ownership in the American South. John P. Gaines (1795-1857) was a wealthy plantation owner and slaveholder in Mississippi, while Myra Clark Gaines (1804-1885) was a prominent New Orleans socialite and heiress who inherited a vast fortune and fought a decades-long legal battle over her inheritance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaines

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

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

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

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