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

Rainville, 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 Rainville surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rainville in America

Rainville is the 13564th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rainville surname appeared 2,236 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rainville.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rainville 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 Rainville

The surname RAINVILLE is of French origin, originating from the Normandy region of France during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old French words "raine," meaning frog, and "ville," meaning town or village. It is believed to have been a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived in a town or village near a pond or marsh inhabited by frogs.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the RAINVILLE surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Rainevilla," indicating that individuals bearing this surname likely accompanied William the Conqueror from Normandy during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

In the 13th century, the RAINVILLE surname appeared in various records and manuscripts across Normandy and other parts of northern France. One notable individual was Jean de RAINVILLE, a Norman knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade (1248-1254) led by King Louis IX of France.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many French settlers bearing the RAINVILLE surname emigrated to New France (present-day Canada) and established themselves in various regions, including Quebec and Acadia. One of the earliest recorded RAINVILLEs in Canada was Pierre RAINVILLE, born in 1635 in Tourouvre, Normandy, who arrived in New France around 1660.

Another notable figure was Joseph-François RAINVILLE (1707-1782), a French-Canadian farmer and militia captain who played a significant role in the defense of Fort Saint-Frédéric (present-day Crown Point, New York) during the French and Indian War.

In the 19th century, several individuals bearing the RAINVILLE surname achieved prominence in various fields. One such individual was Amable-Célestin RAINVILLE (1821-1904), a Quebec lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament from 1867 to 1874.

Throughout history, the RAINVILLE surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Rainville, Renville, Rainvil, and Raynville, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation and spelling practices over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rainville

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

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

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

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