NameCensus.

UK surname

Drain

An English occupational surname referring to a person who drained marshes or who lived near a drainage channel.

In the 1881 census there were 533 people recorded with the Drain surname, ranking it #6,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 823, ranked #6,749, down from #6,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barking, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ16, Corby and Redbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drain is 878 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.4%.

1881 census count

533

Ranked #6,449

Modern count

823

2016, ranked #6,749

Peak year

1998

878 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drain had 533 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 823 in 2016, ranked #6,749.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 656 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Drain surname distribution map

The map shows where the Drain surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Drain surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drain over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 227 #9,448
1861 historical 374 #6,826
1881 historical 533 #6,449
1891 historical 580 #6,577
1901 historical 656 #6,592
1911 historical 512 #7,699
1997 modern 833 #6,335
1998 modern 878 #6,285
1999 modern 865 #6,399
2000 modern 858 #6,406
2001 modern 824 #6,501
2002 modern 846 #6,480
2003 modern 843 #6,380
2004 modern 851 #6,345
2005 modern 827 #6,432
2006 modern 812 #6,534
2007 modern 840 #6,436
2008 modern 858 #6,374
2009 modern 872 #6,437
2010 modern 869 #6,577
2011 modern 851 #6,611
2012 modern 822 #6,697
2013 modern 843 #6,682
2014 modern 838 #6,737
2015 modern 840 #6,671
2016 modern 823 #6,749

Geography

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Where Drains are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barking, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea, Inworth and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ16, Corby, Redbridge and Havering. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Barking Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Inworth Essex
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ16 West Dunbartonshire
2 Corby 008 Corby
3 Redbridge 002 Redbridge
4 Havering 011 Havering
5 Havering 017 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drain

These lists show first names that appear often with the Drain surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drain

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Drain, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Drain surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Drain household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Drain is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Drain is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Drain falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Drain is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Drain, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Drain

The surname Drain is of English origin, emerging in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "drægene," which means "a water channel or ditch." The name is believed to have been initially given as a nickname or occupational name to someone who lived near a drainage ditch or worked as a ditch digger.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Drain can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1275, where a person named Robert le Drein is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution from the Old English root word.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Somerset Assize Rolls of 1280, where a certain William Dreyn is listed. This record suggests that the name was present in various regions of England during the medieval period.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Drain was Sir John Drain (c. 1400-1475), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire. He is known for his involvement in the construction of the famous Boston Stump, a prominent church tower in the town of Boston.

In the 16th century, the surname Drain can be found in various historical records, such as the Parish Registers of Yorkshire, where a family by the name of Drayne is recorded in the village of Ripley in 1589.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Sir Robert Drain (1594-1668), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in the 17th century. He was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

The surname Drain also has connections to place names. For instance, the village of Drayton in Oxfordshire is believed to have derived its name from the Old English words "dræg" and "tun," meaning "a settlement by a drainage channel."

Other notable individuals with the surname Drain include John Drain (1775-1857), a British painter known for his landscapes and pastoral scenes, and William Drain (1807-1865), a Scottish-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City.

It is worth noting that the surname Drain has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Dreyn, Drayne, Draine, and Drayn, among others. These variations reflect the linguistic and regional influences on the name's evolution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Drain families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drain surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Essex leads with 137 Drains recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.50x.

County Total Index
Essex 137 13.50x
Middlesex 75 1.46x
Lanarkshire 53 3.19x
Lancashire 34 0.56x
Renfrewshire 32 8.03x
Kent 22 1.25x
Dunbartonshire 18 13.03x
Hampshire 18 1.71x
Surrey 16 0.64x
Ayrshire 14 3.64x
Hertfordshire 14 3.95x
Stirlingshire 12 6.33x
Durham 10 0.65x
Kirkcudbrightshire 10 13.44x
Suffolk 8 1.28x
Monmouthshire 7 1.88x
Warwickshire 7 0.54x
Angus 6 1.26x
Berkshire 6 1.55x
Argyllshire 5 3.49x
Shropshire 4 0.90x
Yorkshire 4 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.63x
Cornwall 3 0.52x
Midlothian 3 0.44x
Derbyshire 2 0.25x
Norfolk 2 0.25x
Herefordshire 1 0.47x
Morayshire 1 1.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barking in Essex leads with 31 Drains recorded in 1881 and an index of 104.41x.

Place Total Index
Barking 31 104.41x
Govan 18 4.38x
Hackney London 17 5.90x
Portsea 16 7.75x
Barony 15 3.57x
Broxbourne 14 199.43x
Eastwood 12 48.90x
Port Glasgow 12 62.31x
Deptford St Paul 11 8.13x
Shoreditch London 11 4.94x
Southminster 11 493.27x
Tollesbury 11 433.07x
Cadder 10 81.43x
East Ham 10 53.11x
Urr 10 103.31x
Bethnal Green London 9 4.03x
Cardross 9 54.25x
Kilsyth 9 74.44x
Manchester 9 3.28x
Rutherglen 9 36.90x
West Ham 9 4.02x
Clerkenwell London 8 6.59x
Inworth 8 714.29x
Kilbarchan 8 66.12x
Liverpool 8 2.16x
St Faith Under St Pauls 8 1951.22x
Tillingham 8 446.93x
Coundon 7 112.90x
Gorleston 7 44.00x
Kenilworth 7 95.76x
Newington 7 3.69x
Dundee 6 3.37x
Layer De La Hay 6 495.87x
Terling 6 394.74x
Winkfield 6 93.75x
Bonhill 5 22.54x
Campbeltown 5 28.97x
Graig 5 299.40x
Lambeth 5 1.12x
Mayland 5 1136.36x
Stair 5 304.88x
Burnham 4 106.67x
Chelmsford 4 22.98x
Fulham London 4 5.37x
Greenwich 4 4.89x
Milton In Gravesend 4 15.21x
Old Artillery Ground 4 90.29x
Row 4 22.38x
Toxteth Park 4 1.94x
Wellington 4 16.03x
West Derby 4 2.24x
Brandon Byshottles 3 15.66x
Dalmellington 3 26.53x
Dalry 3 16.57x
Falkirk 3 6.76x
Heybridge 3 101.69x
Kilmarnock 3 6.55x
Spitalfields London 3 7.76x
Stoke Newington London 3 7.49x
Tolleshunt Major 3 422.54x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 1.50x
Bowling 2 3.96x
Duffryn 2 425.53x
Everton 2 1.03x
Great Braxted 2 303.03x
Hatfield Peverel 2 91.32x
Higher Booths 2 18.18x
Kensington London 2 0.70x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 8.43x
Latchingdon Snoreham 2 206.19x
Meldrum 2 49.88x
Messing 2 157.48x
Puttenham 2 259.74x
Springfield 2 44.94x
St Anne Soho London 2 6.81x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.21x
St Gluvias 2 61.35x
Woolwich 2 3.09x
Writtle 2 48.19x
Dengie 1 178.57x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Drain surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 13
Sarah 11
Emily 6
Ann 5
Eliza 5
Jane 5
Ada 4
Alice 4
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Frances 4
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Hannah 3
Jessie 3
Margaret 3
Adelaide 2
Agnes 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Lydia 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Anne 1
Damaries 1
Deana 1
E. 1
Elisabth. 1
Elizath. 1
Emilie 1
Ethelinda 1
Eunice 1
Fannie 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
J. 1
Kate 1
Kitty 1
Lenora 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lucinda 1
Mabel 1
Margeret 1
Maria 1
Winnefard 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Drain surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 27
George 18
John 15
James 14
Thomas 14
Henry 13
Arthur 9
Charles 7
Edward 7
Robert 7
Walter 7
Ernest 4
Joseph 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Frederick 3
Jeffery 3
Samuel 3
David 2
F. 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Hezekiah 2
Isaac 2
Solomon 2
Bertie 1
C. 1
Chas.Henry 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edwd.F. 1
Frank 1
Fred.W. 1
G. 1
H. 1
Hearbart 1
Hugh 1
Isiac 1
J. 1
Jas.Arthur 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Roland 1
Sampson 1
Samual 1
Uriah 1
Yabey 1

FAQ

Drain surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drain surname in 1881?

In 1881, 533 people were recorded with the Drain surname. That placed it at #6,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drain surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 823 in 2016. That gives Drain a modern rank of #6,749.

What does the Drain surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who drained marshes or who lived near a drainage channel.

What does the Drain map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Drain bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.