Contents [hide]

Caines History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Caines History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

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

Early Origins of the Caines family

The surname Caines 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 Caines family

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

Caines Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Caines that are preserved in archival documents are 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 Caines family

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

Caines Ranking

In the United States, the name Caines is the 8,852^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Caines is ranked the 151^st most popular surname with an estimated 257 people with that name. 6

Caines migration to the United States +

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Caines name:

Caines Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Caines, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 7

Caines Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Caines, who settled in Moon's Face in 1850

Caines Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Albert Victor Caines, aged 25, who settled in America from Somerset, England, in 1907
Augustus John Ed. Caines, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1910
Edith Jessie Caines, aged 29, who landed in America from Liverpool, England, in 1912
Daniel Caines, aged 24, who immigrated to America from Liverpool, England, in 1916
Christopher Caines, aged 34, who landed in America, in 1919
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Caines migration to Australia +

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

Caines Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Caines, English convict who was convicted in Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Thomas Caines, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st September 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Miss Margaret Caines, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 16th November 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Karos Caines, aged 31, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Marion" 11

Caines 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:

Caines Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Caines, (b. 1814), aged 27, British agricultural labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 12
Mrs. Mary Caines, (b. 1815), aged 26, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 12
Mr. Robert Caines, (b. 1834), aged 7, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 12
Mr. Hubert Caines, (b. 1838), aged 3, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 12
Mr. Alfred Caines, (b. 1840), aged 1, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Caines (post 1700) +

Jeannette Caines, American author of children's books, most notably Abby, Chilly Stomach and Just Us Women, a Reading Rainbow book
George Caines (1771-1825), the first official reporter of cases in the United States appointed by the Court of Appeals of New York
Eleanor Caines (1870-1880), American silent film actress who spent most of her film career at the Lubin Film Company
Peter Edwin Caines FRSC, British control theorist and James McGill Professor and Macdonald Chair in Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Cliff Caines, Canadian documentary filmmaker originally from Red Lake, Ontario
Wayne Caines, Bermudian politician, Member of the House of Assembly of Bermuda, Minister of National Security (2017-2020)
Daniel Stephen Caines (b. 1979), English gold medalist runner from Solihull, England
Michael Andrew Caines MBE DL (b. 1969), English chef, born in Exeter, Devon, head chef of Gidleigh Park in Devon until January 2016, current owner of Lympstone Manor, which holds one Michelin star.
Justine Maree Caines OAM (b. 1973), birth activist in Australia
Gavin Liam Caines (b. 1983), English footballer

Historic Events for the Caines family +

Prince of Wales colliery

Mr. Joseph Caines (b. 1820), "Camis", Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died 13

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/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MARION 1851 - HER HISTORY. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Marion.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Entombed in flood and flame (retrieved 3rd August 2021). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120603025705/http://www.crosskeys.me.uk/history/prince.htm