NameCensus.

UK surname

Rayne

A surname derived from a Norman-French place name meaning "tract of land".

In the 1881 census there were 256 people recorded with the Rayne surname, ranking it #10,885 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 354, ranked #13,054, down from #10,885 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Gateshead and Ryton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Plymouth, Gateshead and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rayne is 479 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.3%.

1881 census count

256

Ranked #10,885

Modern count

354

2016, ranked #13,054

Peak year

1891

479 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rayne had 256 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,885 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 354 in 2016, ranked #13,054.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 479 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Rayne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rayne surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Rayne 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 177 #11,441
1861 historical 421 #6,096
1881 historical 256 #10,885
1891 historical 479 #7,684
1901 historical 296 #11,749
1911 historical 343 #10,416
1997 modern 335 #12,575
1998 modern 348 #12,585
1999 modern 354 #12,497
2000 modern 363 #12,237
2001 modern 347 #12,449
2002 modern 347 #12,699
2003 modern 340 #12,685
2004 modern 351 #12,422
2005 modern 345 #12,496
2006 modern 346 #12,539
2007 modern 350 #12,600
2008 modern 350 #12,694
2009 modern 365 #12,558
2010 modern 389 #12,251
2011 modern 388 #12,121
2012 modern 361 #12,647
2013 modern 353 #13,104
2014 modern 352 #13,206
2015 modern 357 #12,979
2016 modern 354 #13,054

Geography

Back to top

Where Raynes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Gateshead, Ryton, Wimbledon and Newcastle All Saints. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Plymouth, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham. 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 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Ryton Durham
4 Wimbledon Surrey
5 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Plymouth 031 Plymouth
2 Gateshead 013 Gateshead
3 Gateshead 019 Gateshead
4 Sunderland 005 Sunderland
5 County Durham 011 County Durham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Rayne

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Rayne

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rayne, 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 Rayne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Rayne 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Rayne is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rayne is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rayne falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rayne 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 Rayne, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rayne

The surname Rayne is of Anglo-Norman French origin, derived from the Old French word "reyne" or "reine", meaning "queen". It is believed to have originated in the early 12th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Historically, the name Rayne was likely associated with those who held land or property granted by the Norman nobility. It may have been bestowed upon individuals who lived near or worked on lands owned by a queen or a noble lady.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rayne can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex, dated 1195, where a person named "Willelmus de Reyne" is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "Reyne", "Reyn", and "Rayn", indicating variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273 records a "Richard de Reyne", while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 mention a "John Rayn".

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Rayne include Sir John Rayne (1450-1518), a prominent English merchant and alderman of the City of London during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent individual was Sir Walter Rayne (1555-1634), a successful lawyer and member of Parliament during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras.

In Scotland, the surname Rayne is associated with the town of Rayne in Aberdeenshire, which may have derived its name from the Old Norse word "rein", meaning a strip of land. One notable bearer of the name was Alexander Rayne (1625-1698), a Scottish minister and writer.

The Rayne family also had a presence in Ireland, where they were recorded as early as the 16th century. One notable individual was Sir John Rayne (1580-1661), an Irish landowner and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

Other historical figures with the surname Rayne include Sir Thomas Rayne (1670-1735), an English lawyer and judge, and Sir Michael Rayne (1789-1858), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Maldon.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Rayne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rayne 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. Durham leads with 62 Raynes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.31x.

County Total Index
Durham 62 8.31x
Northumberland 33 8.85x
Yorkshire 33 1.33x
Middlesex 27 1.08x
Lancashire 17 0.57x
Essex 15 3.03x
Angus 11 4.74x
Kent 10 1.17x
Surrey 9 0.74x
Fife 7 4.72x
Staffordshire 6 0.71x
Westmorland 6 10.89x
Banffshire 5 9.62x
Norfolk 3 0.78x
Northamptonshire 3 1.27x
Hampshire 2 0.39x
Sussex 2 0.47x
Cheshire 1 0.18x
Cumberland 1 0.46x
Derbyshire 1 0.25x
Leicestershire 1 0.36x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.74x
Royal Navy 1 3.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Winlaton in Durham leads with 15 Raynes recorded in 1881 and an index of 209.79x.

Place Total Index
Winlaton 15 209.79x
Bishopwearmouth 14 21.87x
St Vigeans 11 87.72x
West Ham 11 10.07x
Gateshead 10 17.91x
Byker 9 48.81x
St Marylebone London 8 5.98x
Salford 7 8.00x
Whitby 7 83.63x
Bedlington 6 48.19x
Dunfermline 6 26.29x
Ealing 6 26.79x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 31.04x
Walsall Foreign 6 13.73x
Aberlour 5 303.03x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 15.48x
Heighington 5 909.09x
Islington London 5 2.06x
Applethwaite 4 243.90x
Battersea 4 4.34x
Crossgate 4 122.70x
Heeley 4 52.98x
Knaresborough 4 102.56x
Margate St John Baptist 4 25.54x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 4 17.95x
Plompton 4 2857.14x
Ryton 4 152.67x
Seasalter 4 370.37x
Wakefield 4 20.98x
Braintree 3 67.57x
Goole 3 72.12x
Lambeth 3 1.37x
Northampton All Sts 3 37.50x
Paddington London 3 3.25x
Reddish 3 73.17x
Alnwick 2 31.20x
Brandon Byshottles 2 21.41x
Burneston 2 909.09x
Ecclesfield 2 10.98x
Kendal 2 19.82x
Lyng 2 465.12x
Morpeth 2 45.56x
Ramsgate 2 14.33x
Southwark St John 2 26.08x
St Thomas Winchester 2 55.10x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 4.47x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.92x
Bishopton 1 333.33x
Brighton 1 1.17x
Brightside Bierlow 1 2.05x
Chester Castle 1 344.83x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.12x
Colchester Holy Trinity 1 90.91x
Dalton In Furness 1 8.71x
Derby St Werburgh 1 4.41x
Finchley 1 10.41x
Hastings St Mary 1 9.51x
Haydon 1 49.02x
Heworth 1 6.80x
Hexham 1 17.33x
Hunslet 1 2.58x
Kensington London 1 0.72x
Lancaster 1 5.65x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.48x
Llanidloes 1 23.47x
Logie 1 303.03x
Manchester 1 0.75x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 20.41x
Ruswarp 1 36.23x
St Cuthbert W O Carleton 1 169.49x
St George Hanover 1 3.06x
Stanhoe 1 263.16x
Tottenham 1 2.50x
Toxteth Park 1 0.99x
Trimdon 1 37.88x
West Derby 1 1.15x
Westgate 1 4.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Jane 13
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 8
Alice 6
Ann 6
Margaret 5
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Susannah 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Cecilia 2
Frances 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Dinah 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Georgina 1
H. 1
Hariet 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Katherine 1
Kathl. 1
Kuisma 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margt.H. 1
Nellie 1
Pricilla 1
Priscilla 1
Sophia 1
Teresa 1
Theresa 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
William 14
George 11
James 7
Alfred 5
Arthur 4
Charles 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Chas. 2
Richard 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Benjamin 1
Charlie 1
Cuthbert 1
Dixon 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Laurence 1
Michael 1
Middleton 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Septimus 1
Soloman 1

FAQ

Rayne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rayne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 256 people were recorded with the Rayne surname. That placed it at #10,885 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rayne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 354 in 2016. That gives Rayne a modern rank of #13,054.

What does the Rayne surname mean?

A surname derived from a Norman-French place name meaning "tract of land".

What does the Rayne map show?

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