NameCensus.

UK surname

Gaines

From a nickname for a crafty or ingenious person, derived from Old French engaine meaning "trick, stratagem, or ruse."

In the 1881 census there were 538 people recorded with the Gaines surname, ranking it #6,406 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,001, ranked #5,799, up from #6,406 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Battersea and Farnborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, County Durham and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gaines is 1,073 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.1%.

1881 census count

538

Ranked #6,406

Modern count

1,001

2016, ranked #5,799

Peak year

1999

1,073 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gaines had 538 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,406 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,001 in 2016, ranked #5,799.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 931 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gaines surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gaines surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gaines 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 288 #7,884
1861 historical 335 #7,610
1881 historical 538 #6,406
1891 historical 564 #6,733
1901 historical 789 #5,707
1911 historical 931 #4,819
1997 modern 1,006 #5,474
1998 modern 1,043 #5,474
1999 modern 1,073 #5,391
2000 modern 1,043 #5,497
2001 modern 1,031 #5,451
2002 modern 1,070 #5,395
2003 modern 1,009 #5,550
2004 modern 999 #5,607
2005 modern 974 #5,654
2006 modern 977 #5,654
2007 modern 982 #5,690
2008 modern 995 #5,670
2009 modern 1,019 #5,676
2010 modern 1,047 #5,661
2011 modern 1,031 #5,678
2012 modern 968 #5,882
2013 modern 993 #5,861
2014 modern 1,002 #5,850
2015 modern 1,002 #5,797
2016 modern 1,001 #5,799

Geography

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Where Gaines' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Battersea, Farnborough and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, County Durham, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Waverley. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Battersea London (South Districts)
3 Farnborough Surrey
4 London parishes London 2
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 005 Northumberland
2 County Durham 012 County Durham
3 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
4 Richmondshire 006 Richmondshire
5 Waverley 015 Waverley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gaines

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gaines

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gaines, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Gaines surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gaines household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Gaines 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

Gaines is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gaines falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gaines is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gaines

The surname Gaines originated in Normandy, a region in northern France, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "gaaign," which means "gain" or "profit." The name was likely given to someone who worked as a merchant or trader, or someone who was known for their business acumen and ability to make gains.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gaines surname dates back to the 11th century, in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named William Gaines, who held estates in Cambridgeshire.

In the 13th century, the Gaines family was prominent in the county of Essex, England. Records show that a Sir John Gaines was a knight and landowner in the village of Great Baddow during this time period.

During the 16th century, the Gaines surname spread across England and Scotland. One notable figure was Sir Edward Gaines (1508-1558), an English politician and member of Parliament who served as Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.

The Gaines surname also has a strong presence in Ireland, where it is often spelled "Gaine" or "Gayne." One of the earliest recorded Irish individuals with this surname was John Gaine (c. 1630-1690), a printer and bookseller in Dublin who published some of the first Irish language books.

In the United States, the Gaines surname can be traced back to the colonial era. One of the earliest American settlers with this name was John Gaines (1685-1753), a Virginia planter and landowner who served as a justice of the peace and a member of the House of Burgesses.

Another notable American with the Gaines surname was Edmund Pendleton Gaines (1777-1849), a distinguished military officer who served in the War of 1812 and the Seminole Wars. He rose to the rank of major general and was considered a hero for his defense of Fort Erie during the War of 1812.

In the 19th century, the Gaines surname was also associated with slavery and plantation ownership in the American South. John P. Gaines (1795-1857) was a wealthy plantation owner and slaveholder in Mississippi, while Myra Clark Gaines (1804-1885) was a prominent New Orleans socialite and heiress who inherited a vast fortune and fought a decades-long legal battle over her inheritance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gaines families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gaines 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. Yorkshire leads with 233 Gaines' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.47x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 233 4.47x
Surrey 63 2.46x
Middlesex 34 0.65x
Hampshire 32 2.97x
Durham 29 1.85x
Lancashire 28 0.45x
Kent 17 0.95x
Northumberland 16 2.05x
Berkshire 15 3.80x
Herefordshire 12 5.57x
Essex 11 1.06x
Gloucestershire 9 0.87x
Warwickshire 8 0.60x
Cheshire 6 0.52x
Glamorgan 6 0.66x
Staffordshire 6 0.34x
Sussex 3 0.34x
Northamptonshire 2 0.40x
Wiltshire 2 0.43x
Derbyshire 1 0.12x
Monmouthshire 1 0.26x
Norfolk 1 0.12x
Oxfordshire 1 0.31x
Perthshire 1 0.42x
Royal Navy 1 1.60x
Somerset 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 70 Gaines' recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.79x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 70 23.79x
Battersea 20 10.34x
Lambeth 17 3.71x
Holbeck 12 34.76x
Hunslet 12 14.77x
Pickering 12 182.93x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 10.40x
Alnwick 10 74.35x
Brightside Bierlow 10 9.79x
Farnborough 10 88.34x
Northfleet 10 63.29x
St Pancras London 10 2.36x
Horsforth 9 78.81x
Birmingham 8 1.81x
Dinedor 8 1739.13x
Morton In Keighley 8 195.60x
Reading St Lawrence 8 94.79x
Cheltenham 7 8.80x
Liverpool 7 1.85x
Nether Hallam 7 9.93x
Rothwell 7 66.54x
Thornton Le Moor 7 1166.67x
Barking 6 19.76x
Basingstoke 6 48.39x
Coundon Grange 6 174.93x
Folkestone 6 17.24x
Halifax 6 7.84x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 17.89x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 6.82x
Middleton St George 6 306.12x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 14.80x
Patrck Brmptn Newton 6 645.16x
South Crosland 6 109.29x
Tranmere 6 14.06x
Finghall Akebar 5 1785.71x
Newfield 5 240.38x
North Otterington 5 3846.15x
Pendleton In Salford 5 6.73x
Potter Newton 5 54.41x
Southampton All Sts 5 27.04x
Stoke 5 41.36x
Sunninghill 5 91.41x
Wednesfield 5 19.14x
Wensley 5 862.07x
West Ham 5 2.18x
Whitby 5 28.47x
Winchfield 5 757.58x
Broughton In Salford 4 7.01x
Carshalton 4 40.82x
Hartley Wintney 4 123.46x
Hereford St Nicholas 4 136.52x
Thornaby 4 20.54x
York St Cuthbert 4 83.86x
Bramley In Bramley 3 15.04x
Carlton Husthwaite 3 1000.00x
Castleton 3 4.81x
Clapham 3 4.56x
Clerkenwell London 3 2.42x
Darlington 3 4.97x
Hurworth 3 109.49x
Islington London 3 0.59x
Scarborough 3 6.34x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.24x
Toxteth Park 3 1.42x
Bradford On Avon 2 13.43x
Bristol Temple 2 29.46x
Hapton 2 51.28x
Hove 2 5.14x
Middridge 2 129.03x
Mile End Old Town London 2 1.79x
Morton On Swale 2 408.16x
Newington 2 1.03x
Northampton St Giles 2 10.62x
Ratcliffe London 2 6.89x
Reading St Giles 2 5.17x
Salford 2 1.09x
Shoreditch London 2 0.88x
St Paul Covent Garden 2 38.02x
West Derby 2 1.10x
Paddington London 1 0.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Elizabeth 23
Sarah 20
Eliza 13
Emma 12
Jane 12
Annie 11
Emily 7
Hannah 7
Ann 6
Catherine 5
Charlotte 5
Edith 5
Ellen 5
Alice 4
Louisa 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Clara 3
Dorothy 3
Elizth. 3
Florence 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Helena 2
Kate 2
Louise 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2
Maud 2
Phoebe 2
Selina 2
Amy 1
Bridget 1
Carolina 1
Caroline 1
Edna 1
Emilly 1
Isabella 1
Lavinia 1
Lilley 1
Troyetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 39
William 36
Thomas 28
James 17
Henry 16
Joseph 12
George 11
Robert 11
Charles 9
Walter 6
Frederick 5
Herbert 5
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Arthur 3
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Mark 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Anthony 2
Benjamin 2
Clarence 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Allen 1
Andrew 1
Benjn. 1
Clemans 1
Clement 1
David 1
Ed.Hy. 1
Edwd. 1
Ezra 1
Frances 1
Frederic 1
Jeremiah 1
Percy 1
Sam. 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Tom 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Gaines surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gaines surname in 1881?

In 1881, 538 people were recorded with the Gaines surname. That placed it at #6,406 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gaines surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,001 in 2016. That gives Gaines a modern rank of #5,799.

What does the Gaines surname mean?

From a nickname for a crafty or ingenious person, derived from Old French engaine meaning "trick, stratagem, or ruse."

What does the Gaines map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gaines 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.