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

O'Drain, 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 O'Drain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Drain in America

O'Drain is the 137327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Drain surname appeared 122 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 O'Drain.

The history of the last name O'Drain

The surname ODRAIN has its origins in Ireland. It is thought to derive from the Irish Gaelic O'Draitin, which translates to "descendant of Draitin". Draitin is believed to have been a personal name derived from the word "draith", meaning a satirist or jester.

The ODRAIN name can be traced back to the 12th century in County Sligo, located in the province of Connacht. Historical records indicate that members of the ODRAIN family were among the hereditary poets and scholars of the O'Conor dynasty, rulers of Connacht during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest known references to the ODRAIN name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The entry from 1183 mentions the death of "Muireadhach O'Draitin, a learned poet and historian".

In the 16th century, the ODRAIN family was prominent in the parish of Calry, County Sligo. A notable figure from this era was Tadhg Og O'Draitin (c. 1550-1635), a renowned Irish poet and scholar who composed works in both Irish and Latin.

Another prominent ODRAIN was Seán O'Draitin (c. 1620-1692), a Franciscan friar and historian from County Sligo. He authored a history of the O'Conor dynasty, which is now preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the ODRAIN surname spread beyond County Sligo to other parts of Ireland, including counties Mayo, Galway, and Roscommon. Several members of the family were active in the Irish Confederate Wars and the Jacobite risings.

One notable figure from this period was Cormac O'Draitin (c. 1670-1743), a Jacobite officer who fought in the Battle of the Boyne and the Siege of Limerick. After the Jacobite defeat, he fled to France where he served in the Irish Brigade of the French army.

In more recent centuries, the ODRAIN name has evolved into various spelling variations, including O'Drain, Odoyne, and Odoyen. Prominent individuals with this surname include the Irish writer and historian Cathal O'Drain (1890-1954) and the American artist and illustrator Mary O'Drain (1908-1988).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Drain

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Drain.

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 O'Drain 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.

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 O'Drain was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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