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Cain Family History

Cain Surname Meaning

Manx: from Gaelic Mac Catháin ‘son of Cathan’ see Kane. The personal name literally meant ‘warrior’ a derivative of Manx cah ‘battle’ (Irish cath). English: variant of Cane.

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from the city of Caen in Calvados France. Catalan: Castilianized form of Caí (see Cai).

French (Caïn): from the Biblical name Caïn (Hebrew Qayin) ‘Cain’ probably applied as an unflattering nickname for someone who was considered to be treacherous.

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


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Where is the Cain family from?

You can see how Cain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,541 Cain families living in Lancashire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Cain's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Cain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cain 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 Cain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cain. 15% of Cain men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Cain women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cain were Colliery Hewer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Cain | 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

  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Colliery Hewer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Cain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 348,000 census records available for the last name Cain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cain

Passenger Lists

There are 34,000 immigration records available for the last name Cain. 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 Cain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 69,000 military records available for the last name Cain. For the veterans among your Cain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Cain family history

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What is the average Cain lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Cain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Cain in 1940 was 46, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cain

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cain 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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