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

Kain, 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 Kain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kain in America

Kain is the 6603rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kain surname appeared 5,132 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kain 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 Kain

The surname Kain has its origins in Germany, with early records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "kahan," which means "to grumble" or "to complain." This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname given to someone with a grumbling or discontented nature.

One of the earliest known references to the name Kain can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Kayn, Kayne, and Kaine, reflecting the variations in regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Kain was Konrad Kain, a prominent merchant and businessman in the city of Augsburg, Germany. His successful trading ventures and involvement in local affairs earned him a respected reputation among his contemporaries.

The Kain surname also has ties to certain place names in Germany, such as Kainbach, a town located in the state of Bavaria. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname based on their association with this or similar locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kain in England can be traced back to the 16th century, when a man named William Kain was listed in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1587.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Kain, including:

1. Johann Kain (1760-1831), an Austrian painter known for his landscape and genre paintings.
2. Heinrich Kain (1808-1868), a German mathematician and professor at the University of Giessen.
3. Johann Kain (1856-1910), an Austrian chess player and author of several chess books.
4. Otto Kain (1881-1942), a German actor and film director active during the silent film era.
5. Richard Kain (1909-1992), an American actor and screenwriter who worked in Hollywood during the mid-20th century.

While the surname Kain may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, reflecting the diverse origins and experiences of those who have carried this name throughout generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kain

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

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

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

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