The Main surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,776 people carried this name — #2,824 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 23,100 people counted. That is up 1% from 12,631 in 2000.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 317 people named Main.
22 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 41 départements, most often Paris.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 119 people named Main live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Entre Ríos.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
36 people named Main live in Switzerland.
They live in 6 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Valais.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 22 people named Main live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Main in American newspapers,
1913.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,497,606 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Main,
with a public archive behind them.
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Thomas Main 1807–1885 · politician -
Robert Main 1808–1878 · astronomer -
Hubert Main 1839–1925 · publisher -
James Main 1775–1846 · botanist
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James Main 1775–1846 · botanist
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Wilhelmina Cuninghame 1813–1887
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Main.
- Maillet 1,603 · U.S. census
- Mailliard 240 · U.S. census
- Maillie 112 · U.S. census
- Mailloux 2,122 · U.S. census
- Mailly 170 · U.S. census
- Maimone 775 · U.S. census
- Mainard 255 · U.S. census
- Mainardi 250 · U.S. census
- Maine 3,589 · U.S. census
- Maingot 178 · U.S. census
- Maini 391 · U.S. census
- Maino 399 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Main is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.