The Rains surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,737 people carried this name — #3,055 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,100 people counted. That is up 1% from 11,575 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Rains surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Reine’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Robert de Rennes, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Raines, Rains and Rayne.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 634 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Rains was found among the farmers of Derbyshire: 23 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Derbyshire 23

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

40 families named Rains, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 201 people lived in those households, 5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 9 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 10
South Carolina 7
Maine 6
Virginia 5
New Hampshire 4
Pennsylvania 4
New York 2
Maryland 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 258 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Rains in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

4,632 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rains. The most, 683, date from the 1910s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 1,356
New South Wales 959
South Australia 874
Queensland 743
Western Australia 552
Tasmania 117
ACT (Canberra) 15
Northern Territory 1

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

Who carried it

People named Rains,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Gabriel J. Rains
    Gabriel J. Rains 1803–1881 · scientist
  • James S. Rains
    James S. Rains 1817–1880 · politician
  • George Washington Rains
    George Washington Rains 1817–1898 · military officer
  • James Edwards Rains
    James Edwards Rains 1833–1862 · jurist
  • Ann Kingdom 1764–1853
  • Stephen Rains 1766–1824

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 Rains,
in the records of 6 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 States656 records

656 records of the Rains name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 426
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 145
  • Other U.S. records 85
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Vernon Barton Rains

    Born 1947; from San Mateo, California. U.S. Army, cargo specialist; died in an accident 1967 in Gia Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Chesley O. Rains

    Born 1917 in Oklahoma. Enlisted 1942 at Oklahoma City; farmer from Lincoln County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Stroud Cemetery, Oklahoma.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Conrad Rains

    Arrived at New York in 1857 aboard the Casilda from Rotterdam, aged 21; bookbinder. From Raede, Limburg, the Netherlands.

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

Showing 3 of 656 records for Rains 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: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia91 records

91 records of the Rains name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 65
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 18
  • Other Australian records 8
  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 William Rains

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Rodney, sailing from Queenstown in 1851. Native of Cork.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Joseph Rains

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Lady Eveline, aged 28; 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 Harold Walter Rains

    Fibrous plasterer of Mildura, Victoria; died 1965.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 91 records for Rains in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · 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).

Canada24 records

24 records of the Rains name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 12
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 6
  • Other Canadian records 6
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ed Rains

    Came to Ontario in 1869 aboard the Cleopatra, landing at Quebec, bound for Batteaux, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Harry W. Rains

    Buried in 1955 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 50.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Anderson Rains

    Died 1959 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 24 records for Rains in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · 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); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand14 records

14 records of the Rains name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 12
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Agnes Lilian Rains

    Died 1990, aged 94; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Helen Rains

    Died 1990, aged 80; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Fanny Louisa Rains

    Died 1929, aged 50; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Rains in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands6 records

6 records of the Rains name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Francois Rains

    Died 1811 in Middelburg; born in Ariot; fusilier.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jane Rains

    Married in 1887 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Bertha F. Rains

    In the population register of Apeldoorn; born 1894 in Londen.

    Open Archives, CODA (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Rains 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); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Rains name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Welsh wills index cards 2
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Hannah Elizabeth Rains

    Will proved in 1933; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. G. Rains

    Grenadier Guards. 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 petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Henry William Rains

    Will proved in 1924; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Rains in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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 Rains.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Rains 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.

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