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

Rainwater, 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 Rainwater surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rainwater in America

Rainwater is the 4949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rainwater surname appeared 7,111 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 Rainwater.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rainwater 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 Rainwater

The surname Rainwater has its roots in England, originating in the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ren" meaning rain and "wæter" meaning water, likely referring to someone who lived near a body of water that was fed by rainfall or runoff. The name was initially spelled as "Reynwater" or "Raynwater."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a John de Raynwater in Yorkshire. The Rainwater surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, indicating its presence in different regions of England during that era.

In the 14th century, the name was occasionally rendered as "Raynewatere" or "Raynewatyr," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that period. A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Rainwater, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-1300s.

The Rainwater surname is associated with several place names in England, such as Rainwater Fields in Lincolnshire and Rainwater Lane in Yorkshire. These locations may have derived their names from the presence of Rainwater families in those areas or from the physical features of the land itself.

During the 16th century, the surname experienced a shift in spelling, becoming more commonly known as "Rainwater." One prominent individual with this name was William Rainwater (1510-1592), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

Other notable bearers of the Rainwater surname include:

1. Robert Rainwater (1602-1678), a Puritan minister and author from Suffolk.
2. Elizabeth Rainwater (1670-1738), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in London.
3. Sir Thomas Rainwater (1720-1799), a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London.
4. John Rainwater (1779-1857), a British explorer and naturalist who documented flora and fauna in the Pacific Northwest.
5. Mary Rainwater (1828-1912), a prolific writer and advocate for women's rights in the Victorian era.

Throughout its history, the Rainwater surname has maintained a strong presence in England, with various branches spreading to other parts of the United Kingdom and eventually to other English-speaking countries through immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rainwater

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

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

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

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