NameCensus.

UK surname

Sains

A surname referring to saints or pious individuals.

In the 1881 census there were 141 people recorded with the Sains surname, ranking it #16,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 183, ranked #20,813, down from #16,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Southminster, Mayland, Steeple, Finchingfield and Auckland St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lewes, South Norfolk and Maldon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sains is 206 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.8%.

1881 census count

141

Ranked #16,091

Modern count

183

2016, ranked #20,813

Peak year

1861

206 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sains had 141 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016, ranked #20,813.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 206 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Sains surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sains surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sains 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 206 #11,725
1881 historical 141 #16,091
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 164 #16,879
1997 modern 197 #17,792
1998 modern 203 #17,949
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 185 #18,840
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 171 #19,953
2004 modern 173 #19,937
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 178 #20,094
2009 modern 179 #20,418
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 189 #19,997
2012 modern 181 #20,531
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 182 #20,958
2015 modern 180 #20,997
2016 modern 183 #20,813

Geography

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Where Sains' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Southminster, Mayland, Steeple, Finchingfield, Auckland St Andrew, Burnham and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lewes, South Norfolk, Maldon 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 Southminster, Mayland, Steeple Essex
2 Finchingfield Essex
3 Auckland St Andrew Durham
4 Burnham Essex
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lewes 003 Lewes
2 South Norfolk 014 South Norfolk
3 Maldon 008 Maldon
4 County Durham 053 County Durham
5 County Durham 056 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sains

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sains

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Sains surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Sains 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Sains 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

Sains 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

Sains 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 Sains 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 Sains, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sains

The surname Sains originated in France during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old French word "sain," meaning "healthy" or "wholesome." It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone with a robust or hale appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th-century cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Évroult in Normandy, where a certain Robert Sains is mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records from the Île-de-France region, particularly around Paris. For instance, a Jean Sains is listed in the tax rolls of the city of Paris in 1292, indicating the name's presence in the urban centers of northern France.

The Sains name is also found in several historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries, such as the Comptes de l'Hôtel-Dieu de Paris, which recorded transactions and accounts related to the famous Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Paris. One notable entry mentions a certain Jacques Sains, who was a benefactor of the hospital in the late 15th century.

In the 17th century, the surname appears to have spread to other regions of France, with records indicating its presence in areas like Brittany and Normandy. One prominent individual bearing the name was Jean-Baptiste Sains, a French playwright and poet born in Rouen in 1655, whose works include tragedies and religious plays.

As the name spread across France, it also took on various spellings, such as Sainte, Saintz, and Sainct, reflecting regional variations and the evolution of the French language over time. However, the Sains spelling remained the most common form.

Another notable figure with this surname was François Sains (1662-1724), a French architect and engineer who worked on several prominent buildings in Paris, including the Palais des Tuileries and the Hôtel des Invalides.

In the 18th century, the Sains name continued to be present in various parts of France, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in regions like Burgundy and Provence. One example is Claude Sains (1726-1798), a French military officer who served in the Seven Years' War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

As the name spread throughout France over the centuries, it also found its way to other parts of the world, carried by French emigrants and settlers. However, the origins of the Sains surname can be traced back to its medieval roots in the heartlands of northern and central France.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sains families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sains 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 75 Sains' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.02x.

County Total Index
Essex 75 28.02x
Durham 17 4.21x
Kent 17 3.67x
Middlesex 9 0.66x
Surrey 8 1.21x
Sussex 4 1.75x
Berkshire 3 2.95x
Devon 3 1.06x
Cambridgeshire 2 2.33x
Lancashire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Southminster in Essex leads with 29 Sains' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4915.25x.

Place Total Index
Southminster 29 4915.25x
Coundon 16 975.61x
Finchingfield 13 1547.62x
Burnham 10 1010.10x
Deptford St Paul 10 28.03x
Bethnal Green London 7 11.88x
Lewisham 7 28.37x
Bermondsey 6 14.87x
South Benfleet 6 1875.00x
Theydon Bois 4 975.61x
West Ham 4 6.77x
Bray 3 100.33x
Brighton 3 6.50x
Dengie 3 2000.00x
Kingswear 3 1304.35x
Shepreth 2 1176.47x
Althorne 1 666.67x
Brentwood 1 61.35x
Camberwell 1 1.15x
Creeksea 1 1428.57x
Framwellgate 1 41.84x
Great Bardfield 1 227.27x
Hackney London 1 1.32x
Islington London 1 0.76x
Kingston By Sea 1 277.78x
Lambeth 1 0.85x
Preston 1 2.32x
Shalford 1 294.12x
Woodford 1 33.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Sarah 7
Annie 4
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Matilda 3
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Julia 2
Lizzie 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Amey 1
Caroline 1
Charles 1
Charlott 1
Elizabeth 1
Emiley 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Francis 1
Georgeina 1
Gertrude 1
Harriete 1
Hepzaba 1
Isabella 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
William 7
George 6
James 5
Joseph 5
Charles 4
Thomas 4
Edward 3
Harry 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alice 1
Auther 1
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Richard 1
Stephen 1
Willy 1

FAQ

Sains surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sains surname in 1881?

In 1881, 141 people were recorded with the Sains surname. That placed it at #16,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sains surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016. That gives Sains a modern rank of #20,813.

What does the Sains surname mean?

A surname referring to saints or pious individuals.

What does the Sains map show?

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