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Blain Family History

Blain Surname Meaning

Scottish: shortened form of MacBlain, a shortened form of Mac Gille Blathain ‘son of Gille Blááin’, a personal name meaning ‘servant of Saint Bláán’. Bláán, after whom Dunblane in Perthshire was named, appears in placenames in both Ireland and Scotland.

English: from Middle English bleyne ‘inflamed swelling on the surface of the body’, possibly a nickname for a person suffering from boils or some form of inflammation of the skin. English: habitational name from Blean in Kent, named with Old English blēa (blēan oblique case) ‘course, rough ground’.

Altered form of French Abelin: from the personal name Abelin, a pet form of Abel. The surname Abelin is rare in France, found mainly in Charente-Maritime.

French: altered form of Blin, a shortened form of Belin and hence in part a cognate of 4 above. French: habitational name from Blain, a place in Loire-Atlantique of Gaulish origin derived from the personal name Belenius or Blannius.

This surname (in any of the three possible French senses; see also above) is also found in Haiti, where it is however at least in part of English origin (see 2 and 3 above).

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


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Where is the Blain family from?

You can see how Blain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Blain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Blain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 180 Blain families living in Cheshire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Blain's in United Kingdom. Cheshire had the highest population of Blain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Blain 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 Blain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Blain. 17% of Blain men worked as a Gardener and 78% of Blain women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Blain were Carpenter joiner and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Blain | 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

  • Gardener
    17%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    10%
  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Carpenter joiner
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Blain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 63,000 census records available for the last name Blain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Blain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Blain

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Blain. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Blain. For the veterans among your Blain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Blain lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Blain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Blain in 1945 was 67, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Blain

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Blain 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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