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

Splain, 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 Splain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Splain in America

Splain is the 45569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Splain surname appeared 469 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 Splain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Splain 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 Splain

The surname SPLAIN is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "splæne," meaning "a splinter or chip of wood." The name likely originated as a nickname for a thin or wiry person in the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Huntingdonshire Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Splayn." In the 13th century, the name was also recorded in various spellings, such as "Splayne" and "Spleyne," in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Splayn, a merchant from Nottinghamshire, who was mentioned in the borough records of Nottingham in 1412. Another notable individual was William Splayn, a landowner from Derbyshire, whose name appears in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1674.

The name SPLAIN has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Splain Moor in Shropshire and Splain Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from the Old English word "splæne," indicating that the surname may have originated from a place name in some instances.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name SPLAIN was particularly prominent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. One notable bearer was Robert Splaine, a merchant from Hull, who was born in 1587 and played a significant role in the city's thriving trade.

In the 18th century, the name gained recognition with the birth of John Splain (1720-1795), a renowned English actor and playwright. He was known for his performances in London theatres and authored several popular plays during his lifetime.

Other notable individuals with the surname SPLAIN include:

1. William Splain (1800-1876), an Irish-born Australian politician and judge who served as the Attorney General of New South Wales.

2. Edith Splain (1875-1962), a British writer and educator known for her work in promoting women's rights and education.

3. John Splain (1918-2003), an American World War II veteran and recipient of the Silver Star for his bravery in combat.

4. Michael Splain (born 1949), an American author and journalist who has written extensively on sports and popular culture.

5. Kathleen Splain (born 1957), an American academic and author, known for her research on gender and sexuality in literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Splain

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

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

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

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