How common is the surname Cain?

60,948 people in the United States had the surname Cain in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 5,066 Americans. It ranked 551st of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Cain?

Herman Cain, American businessman (1945–2020), followed by Dean Cain.

Where is the surname Cain most common?

Wikidata records people named Cain in the United States.

Is the surname Cain getting more or less common?

More common. 57,873 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 60,948 in 2010, up 5.3%.

Is Cain also a first name?

Yes. Cain is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Cain

An English surname, carried by 60,948 people in the United States.

Pronounced /keɪn/ 1 syllable Soundex C500 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Cain is more common than 99.7% of them.

Origin

English origin

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

One of 1,446 English surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 60,948 people named Cain in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 5,066 Americans. That is up 5.3% since 2000, when the Census counted 57,873.

#551

rank among US surnames

60,948

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+5.3%

change since 2000 (was #516)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#542	Stokes	61,639	5,009
#543	Owen	61,630	5,010
#544	Ballard	61,625	5,010
#545	Lang	61,529	5,018
#546	Brock	61,369	5,031
#547	Villarreal	61,355	5,032
#548	Charles	61,211	5,044

Who is named Cain

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

77% of people named Cain identified as white (not Hispanic), 17% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.3% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

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

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Cains

17 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

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, born 1965
Carl Cain
American basketball player (1934–2024)
Matt Cain
American baseball player, born 1984
Christopher Cain
American film director, born 1943
Lorenzo Cain
American baseball player, born 1986
Ashley Cain-Gribble
American pair skater, born 1995
Harry P. Cain
American politician (1906-1979)
Chelsea Cain
American journalist and writer, born 1972
Mary Cain
American middle distance runner, born 1996

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Cain

Cain has the Soundex code C500, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code C500.

Other English surnames

All 1,446 English surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Cain come from?: From Hebrew קַיִן (Káyin, “craftsman”), present since Old English.
How common is the surname Cain?: 60,948 people in the United States had the surname Cain in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 5,066 Americans. It ranked 551st of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Cain?: In the 2010 Census, 77% of people named Cain identified as white (not Hispanic), and 17% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Cain?: Herman Cain, American businessman (1945–2020), followed by Dean Cain.
Where is the surname Cain most common?: Wikidata records people named Cain in the United States.
How do you pronounce Cain?: Cain is /keɪn/, one syllable.
Is the surname Cain getting more or less common?: More common. 57,873 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 60,948 in 2010, up 5.3%.
Is Cain also a first name?: Yes. Cain is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.