2000
#1,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,845
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.24
Uncommon Last name
Bain
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from a nickname meaning "bone," likely referring to a person of strong build.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,174 Americans carry the last name Bain. That puts it at #2,102 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,876 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bain surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bain with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 17,876
Census rank
#2,102
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,721 bearers of the surname Bain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2102nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bain, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bain
The surname Bain originates from the medieval French word "bain," meaning "bath" or "bathe." It is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the 11th or 12th century. The name may have been occupational, referring to someone who worked in a bathhouse or operated a public bath.
Alternatively, the name could have derived from a place name associated with a bath or bathing area. For instance, some early bearers of the name may have hailed from towns or villages with names like "Bain" or "Bains."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bain surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England, compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Robertus de Bain, suggesting that the name had already been established in Normandy before the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
Notable individuals with the surname Bain include Alexander Bain (1810-1877), a Scottish philosopher and educational theorist who made significant contributions to the field of psychology and the study of logic. Another prominent bearer of the name was Ebenezer Bain (1804-1882), a Scottish engineer and inventor who patented several important mining and agricultural inventions.
In the literary world, James Bain (1817-1898) was a Scottish author and journalist who wrote extensively about the history and culture of his native land. Likewise, Andrew Geddes Bain (1797-1864) was a Scottish-born explorer, geologist, and road builder in South Africa, known for his pioneering work in mapping and constructing roads through the rugged terrain of the Cape Colony.
The Bain surname has also been associated with notable figures in the realm of politics and public service. For example, Sir James Bain (1842-1925) was a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and as Minister for Public Works.
While the Bain surname has its roots in medieval France, it has since spread and become established in various countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bain
Among Census respondents with the surname Bain, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bain bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 13,594
- Black or African American8.9% · 1,482
- Two or more races4.3% · 721
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 616
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 156
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 152
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bain
Bain appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,371
+526 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 5.89
Rank movement Down 117 places
2020
#2,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,721
-650 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 5.59
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,965 | 16,845 | 6.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,082 | 17,371 | 5.89 | +526 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 117 places |
| 2020 | #2,102 | 16,721 | 5.59 | -650 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 20 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bain surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,082 | #2,102 | -1.0% |
| Count | 17,371 | 16,721 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 5.89 | 5.59 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bain bearers went from 17,371 to 16,721 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,082 to #2,102.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bain
FAQ
Bain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bain?
Name Census estimates that about 19,174 living Americans carry the surname Bain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,876 residents.
How common is Bain?
Bain ranks #2,102 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,721 people with the surname Bain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,174), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Bain.
Has Bain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bain went from 17,371 recorded bearers to 16,721. That is a decrease of 650 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,082 to #2,102.
What does the Census say about the background of Bain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bain, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (13,594 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), Black (8.9%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bain (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bain mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from a nickname meaning "bone," likely referring to a person of strong build. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bain (5.59 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Bain?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.