The Crain surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 17,650 people carried this name — #2,038 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 16,700 people counted. That is up 3% from 17,110 in 2000.

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In print

Crain in American newspapers,
1843–1928.

Newspaper page from The Buffalo Bulletin carrying the name Crain
The Buffalo Bulletin 1928-10-04
Newspaper page from The Buffalo Bulletin carrying the name Crain
The Buffalo Bulletin 1923-09-27
Newspaper page from The Hillsborough Recorder carrying the name Crain
The Hillsborough Recorder 1843-04-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 104,685 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Crain in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1980s.

3,862 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Crain. The most, 600, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,512
Queensland 533
Victoria 336
Western Australia 312
South Australia 70
Tasmania 58
ACT (Canberra) 12
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Crain.

Who carried it

People named Crain,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William H. Crain
    William H. Crain 1848–1896 · lawyer
  • Thomas C. T. Crain
    Thomas C. T. Crain 1860–1942 · judge
  • Elizabeth Crain 1770–1848
  • William C. Crain 1798–1865 · politician
  • John G. Crain 1808–1872
  • Dunham Jones Crain 1831–1908 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Crain,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,053 records

1,053 records of the Crain name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 600
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 247
  • Other U.S. records 206
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George C. Crain

    Born 1907 in Georgia. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Crook, Nebraska; office clerk. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1970, buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Travis Glen Crain

    Born 1946; from Louisville, Kentucky. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1966 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen Crain

    Arrived at Boston in 1846 aboard the Columbus from Liverpool, aged 19; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,053 records for Crain in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia67 records

67 records of the Crain name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 23
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 17
  • Other Australian records 27
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Jeremiah Crain

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Lord Melville, arriving 1830; ticket of leave 1841.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Crain

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Donald McKay, aged 20; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Andrew Crain

    Retired civil servant of Ormond, Victoria; died 1989.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 67 records for Crain in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada10 records

10 records of the Crain name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • Other Canadian records 4
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Crain

    Came to Ontario in 1881 aboard the Polynesian, landing at Halifax, bound for Goderich, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record John Crain

    Killed in 1909 at the Dominion No. 3 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Jean R. Crain

    Died 1949; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 10 records for Crain in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Germany9 records

9 records of the Crain name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Paul Crain

    From Bibra, Eckartsberga. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 22 February 1916 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 231).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Friedrich Crain

    From Kirchscheidung, Kreis Querfurt. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 22 October 1914 (Reserve Jäger Battalion No. 4).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 9 records for Crain in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France5 records

5 records of the Crain name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Serge Norbert Crain

    Born 1929 in Ivry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne); died 1990 in Crain (Yonne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Adele Crain

    Born 1910 in Paris; died 1996 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Paul Jean Crain

    Born 1917 in Paris; died 1981 in Voisenon (Seine-et-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Crain in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Crain name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Lucy Rosiana Crain

    Died 1956 in Heerlen, aged 48.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Charles Robert Crain

    Died 1970 in Oss.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Anna M. Crain

    In the population register of Mijdrecht; born 1895 in Middelburg.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Vecht en Venen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Crain in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Crain name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patrick Crain

    Buried in 1829 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 50.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Crain

    Ng's (Liverpool Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Crain

    Lance Corporal, Bedfordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Crain.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Crain is.
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