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Clain Family History

Clain Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Cain, Blain, Chain, Clarin, Clair, Clavin, Lain, Plain, Crain, Clanin

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Clain family from?

You can see how Clain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Clain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Clain families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 26 Clain families living in Lancashire. This was about 42% of all the recorded Clain's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Clain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Clain surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Clain ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Waitress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Clain. 41% of Clain men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Clain women worked as a Waitress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Clain were Clerk and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Clain | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    41%
  • Laborer
    28%
  • Salesman
    11%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Waitress
    19%
  • Seamstress
    19%
  • Servant
    13%
  • Stenographer
    13%

What Clain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 41,000 census records available for the last name Clain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Clain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Clain

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Clain. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Clain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Clain. For the veterans among your Clain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Clain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Clain family history

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What is the average Clain lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Clain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1994, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Clain in 1964 was 84, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Clain

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Clain ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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