Contents [hide]

Caine History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Caine History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Caine originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Cathain.

Early Origins of the Caine family

The surname Caine was first found in Derry, where the name literally meant 'Cathan's Son.' "This name may be rendered 'warrior'(cath, 'a battle'). The O'Cathains, now O'Kanes, were of the race of Eoghan, who was son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, Monarch of Ireland, who died A.D. 406." 1

Saint Cainner or Cannera (d. 530?), appears in the martyrology of Tamlacht and other ancient lists of Irish saints on 28 Jan. "According to Colgan, she was born of noble parents in the district of Bentraighe (Bantry) in South Munster. " 2

We would be remiss if we did not mention the English and Welsh origins of the name. In England, Yorkshire was a popular location for the family. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Johannes Cayne, Kirkby Overblow; and Johannes Cayne, Knaresborough. 3

"Mauritius de Cadomo held lands in Barony, Devonshire, in 1083. William de Cadomo occurs in Norfolk, Walter de Cadomo in Norfolk, holding great estates, 1086. Renebald de Caen occurs in 1130 (Rot. Pip.). The family of De Caen, Caan, &c., is often mentioned later. In Normandy it occurs in the 12th cent. very frequently." 4

In Wales, "Rhys Cain (16th cent.), was a Welsh poet of the latter part of the sixteenth century, born at Trawsfynydd in Merionethshire, a village on the river Cain, whence he took his surname." 2

Early History of the Caine family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caine research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1196 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Caine History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caine Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Caine family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Cain, Caine, Kane, Kain, Cahan, O'Cahan, Kean, Keane, O'Keane, Ceane, Cean, Kahan, O'Kean, O'Kane, O'Kaine, Kaine, Keann, Cainn, Cainne, Kainn, Cahann, O'Cain and many more.

Early Notables of the Caine family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Caine Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caine Ranking

In the United States, the name Caine is the 8,589^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Caine migration to the United States +

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Caine family in North America:

Caine Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Abraham Caine, who landed in Virginia in 1638 6
Ann Caine, who arrived in Maryland in 1651-1662 6
Mary Caine, who landed in Maryland in 1668 6
Darby Caine, who landed in Maryland in 1671 6

Caine Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Honour Caine, who landed in Virginia in 1702 6
Susan Caine, who landed in Virginia in 1717 6

Caine Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Caine, aged 52, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
Martin Caine, aged 21, who arrived in America in 1822 6

Caine migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Caine Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Caine, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Birman" in 1840 7
Mary Caine, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Birman" in 1840 7
Edward Caine, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Nicol" in 1840 8
Mary Caine, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Nicol" in 1840 8
John Caine, aged 25, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Fatima" 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Caine migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Caine Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Jemima Caine, (b. 1840), aged 24, British dressmaker travelling aboard the ship "Amoor" arriving in Lyttleton, South Island, New Zealand on 1st July 1864 10
Miss Jane Caine, (b. 1844), aged 20, British dressmaker travelling aboard the ship "Amoor" arriving in Lyttleton, South Island, New Zealand on 1st July 1864 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Caine (post 1700) +

Sir Michael Caine (b. 1933), born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, British two-time Academy Award winning actor who has appeared in over 115 films, regarded as a British film icon
Rachel Caine (1962-2020), pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, an American writer of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and horror novels
Howard Caine (1926-1993), born Howard Cohen, American character actor, best known for his role as Gestapo agent Major Wolfgang Hochstetter in the television series Hogan's Heroes (1965–71)
Martin Leonard Caine (1883-1953), American football player and coach, active (1901-1903)
Georgia Caine (1876-1964), American Broadway and film actress who appeared in more than 80 films in her 51-year career
Lt. L. William Caine, American first head college football coach for the Grubbs Vocational College Grubbworms (1919-1920)
John Thomas Caine (1829-1911), American politician, delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Territory of Utah (1882-1893)
James Alfred Caine (1926-2018), nicknamed "Jim the Jazz," a Manx jazz pianist, radio presenter and raconteur
Edwin James Caine (1873-1956), Australian barrister and politician, Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Bowen (1912-1915)
Tony Caine (b. 1986), Australian former professional rugby league footballer
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Caine family +

HMS Dorsetshire

Ronald Caine (d. 1945), British Stoker 1st Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 11

Citations +

Moore, A.W., Manx Names. London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1906. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BIRMAN 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Birman.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WILLIAM NICOL. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840WilliamNichol.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque FATIMA 1850, 521 tons. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Fatima.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html