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Drain Family History

Drain Surname Meaning

Irish (Down): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dreain ‘descendant of Drean’ a byname possibly from dreán ‘wren’. The name is also found in Scotland.

Irish (Cork): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Druacháin (see Drohan).

English: topographic name from Middle English dreine drene ‘drainage channel’ for someone who lived ‘(by the) drain or ditch’.

French: shortened form of Derain from Old French dererain ‘last’ hence a nickname for the youngest son of a family.

French: habitational name from a place in Maine-et-Loire called Drain.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Drain family from?

You can see how Drain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Drain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Drain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 137 Drain families living in Essex. This was about 33% of all the recorded Drain's in United Kingdom. Essex had the highest population of Drain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Drain 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 Drain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, French Polisher and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Drain. 48% of Drain men worked as a French Polisher and 76% of Drain women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Drain were Motor Driver and Shop Assistant.

View Census Data for Drain | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • French Polisher
    48%
  • General Labourer
    18%
  • Railway Clerk
    9%
  • Motor Driver
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Shop Assistant
    4%

What Drain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Drain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Drain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Drain

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Drain. 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 Drain immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Drain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Drain family history

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What is the average Drain lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Drain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Drain in 1948 was 47, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Drain

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Drain 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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