UK surname
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the German word "schön," meaning "beautiful," referring to a creator of beautiful objects.
In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Shain surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 22, ranked #36,533, down from #26,587 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Toxteth Park and Gorleston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shain is 130 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 56.0%.
1881 census count
50
Ranked #26,587
Modern count
22
2016, ranked #36,533
Peak year
1861
130 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Shain surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Shain surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 78 | #19,840 |
| 1861 | historical | 130 | #17,164 |
| 1881 | historical | 50 | #26,587 |
| 1891 | historical | 113 | #22,162 |
| 1901 | historical | 61 | #27,379 |
| 1911 | historical | 69 | #25,965 |
| 1997 | modern | 21 | #35,692 |
| 1998 | modern | 24 | #35,488 |
| 1999 | modern | 23 | #35,612 |
| 2000 | modern | 25 | #35,382 |
| 2001 | modern | 22 | #35,531 |
| 2002 | modern | 22 | #35,709 |
| 2003 | modern | 23 | #35,650 |
| 2004 | modern | 23 | #35,786 |
| 2005 | modern | 27 | #35,588 |
| 2006 | modern | 22 | #36,105 |
| 2007 | modern | 20 | #36,362 |
| 2008 | modern | 20 | #36,443 |
| 2009 | modern | 23 | #36,313 |
| 2010 | modern | 24 | #36,341 |
| 2011 | modern | 19 | #36,668 |
| 2012 | modern | 21 | #36,490 |
| 2013 | modern | 20 | #36,614 |
| 2014 | modern | 20 | #36,654 |
| 2015 | modern | 19 | #36,736 |
| 2016 | modern | 22 | #36,533 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Toxteth Park, Gorleston, Manchester and Aberdeen and Old Machar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Leonard Shoreditch | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | Toxteth Park | Lancashire |
| 3 | Gorleston | Suffolk |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Aberdeen and Old Machar | Aberdeen |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Shain surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shain, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Shain surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Shain household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Shain is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shain is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Shain, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname SHAIN has its origins in the German language, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "schein," which translates to "bright" or "shining," suggesting that the name may have initially been a descriptive term referring to someone with a radiant or luminous appearance.
One of the earliest known records of the SHAIN surname can be found in the Bavarian town of Nuremberg, where a merchant named Hans Shain was documented in the city's archives in the year 1547. This entry provides valuable insight into the name's prevalence in the region during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the SHAIN surname made its way into various historical records, including church registers and legal documents. Notably, a farmer named Johann Shain was mentioned in a land dispute in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1628, shedding light on the name's presence in rural communities during that era.
As the name continued to spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Schein, Schaine, and Schayn. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic differences.
One notable figure bearing the SHAIN surname was Friedrich Shain, a philosopher and educator born in Würzburg in 1792. His contributions to the field of education and his published works on ethics and moral philosophy have left a lasting impact on German intellectual thought.
Another prominent individual was Karl Shain, a German artist and painter who lived from 1845 to 1910. His masterful landscapes and portraits garnered widespread acclaim, and his works can be found in various museums and private collections throughout Europe.
In the 20th century, the SHAIN surname gained international recognition through the achievements of Hans Shain, a renowned German-American engineer and inventor who played a pivotal role in the development of rocket technology. Born in 1892 in Munich, his innovative work with liquid-fueled rockets and contributions to the field of aeronautics have left an indelible mark on the history of space exploration.
While the SHAIN surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and the dispersal of families over the centuries. Today, the name can be found in numerous countries, reflecting the rich cultural diversity and global reach of its bearers.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shain surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 10 Shains recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 10 | 1.73x |
| Middlesex | 8 | 1.64x |
| Staffordshire | 8 | 4.86x |
| Ayrshire | 7 | 19.18x |
| Aberdeenshire | 4 | 8.86x |
| Warwickshire | 4 | 3.25x |
| Kent | 3 | 1.80x |
| Lanarkshire | 2 | 1.27x |
| Devon | 1 | 0.99x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 1.05x |
| Surrey | 1 | 0.42x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0.21x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Quivox in Ayrshire leads with 7 Shains recorded in 1881 and an index of 569.11x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| St Quivox | 7 | 569.11x |
| Sedgley | 6 | 98.20x |
| St Pancras London | 5 | 12.74x |
| West Derby | 5 | 29.53x |
| Aberdeen St Nicholas | 4 | 47.34x |
| Liverpool | 3 | 8.54x |
| Bethnal Green London | 2 | 9.44x |
| Birmingham | 2 | 4.88x |
| Cannock | 2 | 69.69x |
| Ipsley | 2 | 869.57x |
| Barony | 1 | 2.51x |
| Buckland West | 1 | 1666.67x |
| Camberwell | 1 | 3.21x |
| Cheltenham | 1 | 13.55x |
| Habergham Eaves | 1 | 18.90x |
| Herne | 1 | 135.14x |
| Hougham | 1 | 101.01x |
| Leeds | 1 | 3.67x |
| Livesey | 1 | 98.04x |
| Margate St John Baptist | 1 | 32.79x |
| Maryhill | 1 | 32.36x |
| St Marylebone London | 1 | 3.84x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Shain surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Shain surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Shain households.
FAQ
In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Shain surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 22 in 2016. That gives Shain a modern rank of #36,533.
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the German word "schön," meaning "beautiful," referring to a creator of beautiful objects.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shain bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.