# Cain (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/cain/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 60,948 |
| US rank (2010) | 551 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 5,066 people |
| Change since 2000 | +5.3% (57,873 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /keɪn/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Hebrew קַיִן (Káyin, “craftsman”), present since Old English.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Cain in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 77% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 17% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.1% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Cain in the United States.

## People named Cain

- Herman Cain, American businessman (1945–2020)
- Dean Cain, American actor (born 1966)
- James M. Cain, American novelist, short story writer, journalist (1892–1977)
- Tim Cain, American video game developer
- Carl Cain, American basketball player (1934–2024)
- Matt Cain, American baseball player
- Christopher Cain, American film director
- Lorenzo Cain, American baseball player
- Ashley Cain-Gribble, American pair skater
- Harry P. Cain, American politician (1906-1979)
- Chelsea Cain, American journalist and writer
- Mary Cain, American middle distance runner

and 5 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Cano, Caine, Cann, Coan, Cane, Cahn, Can, Coin, Canoy, Chan, Chin, Chain.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.