2000
#12,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,354
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Rainville
A French topographic surname for someone living near a stream or riverbank, derived from Old French "rive" meaning "bank."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,312 Americans carry the last name Rainville. That puts it at #14,287 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,250 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rainville surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,250
Census rank
#14,287
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,016 bearers of the surname Rainville in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14287th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rainville, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rainville
Among Census respondents with the surname Rainville, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rainville bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rainville surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 1,863
- Two or more races3.5% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rainville
Rainville appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,236
-118 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 1,417 places
2020
#14,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,016
-220 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,147 | 2,354 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,564 | 2,236 | 0.76 | -118 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 1,417 places |
| 2020 | #14,287 | 2,016 | 0.67 | -220 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 723 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rainville surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,564 | #14,287 | -5.3% |
| Count | 2,236 | 2,016 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.67 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rainville bearers went from 2,236 to 2,016 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 723 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,564 to #14,287.
FAQ
Rainville surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rainville?
Name Census estimates that about 2,312 living Americans carry the surname Rainville. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,250 residents.
How common is Rainville?
Rainville ranks #14,287 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,016 people with the surname Rainville. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,312), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rainville.
Has Rainville become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rainville went from 2,236 recorded bearers to 2,016. That is a decrease of 220 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,564 to #14,287.
What does the Census say about the background of Rainville?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rainville, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rainville in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,863 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rainville appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rainville (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rainville mean?
A French topographic surname for someone living near a stream or riverbank, derived from Old French "rive" meaning "bank." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rainville (0.67 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Rainville?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.