Gainer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Gainer is "Mag Fhionnbhairr," which is derived from the word "fionnbharr," which means "fair head." 1
The Mc Geaney and O'Geaney variants were originally Geibheannaigh in Gaelic which roughly translates to "fettered" in English. These branches were typically found in Co. Cork and Co. Roscommon. 1
Early Origins of the Gainer family
The surname Gainer was first found in county Longford (Irish: An Longfort) traditionally known as Annaly or Teffia, and situated in the Irish Midlands, in Northwest Leinster. 2
They claim descent through the Line of Ir, Irish kings and one source notes the Gaynor variant as originally Geraadhan in Gaelic. However, the same source claims the name could have been MacFinbhair, which matches the aforementioned entry. 3
Early History of the Gainer family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gainer research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Gainer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gainer Spelling Variations
Because early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname Gainer were found in the archives researched. These included Gaynor, Gainor, Gainer, Gaines, Gains, McGaynor and others.
Early Notables of the Gainer family
More information is included under the topic Early Gainer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gainer Ranking
In the United States, the name Gainer is the 6,702nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4
Gainer migration to the United States +
In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Gainer or a variant listed above, including:
Gainer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Ann Gainer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1684 5
Gainer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Francis Gainer, who landed in New York in 1715 5
- Magdalene Gainer, who settled in Maryland in 1725
- John, Gainer Sr., who landed in Virginia in 1730 5
- Catherine Gainer, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1747 5
- Sarah Gainer, who landed in America in 1753
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gainer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Philip Gainer, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1819
- Redding Gainer, who arrived in Texas in 1835 5
- Reding Gainer, who landed in Texas in 1835 5
- R. G. Gainer settled in San Francisco, California in 1852
Gainer Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Elisabeth Gainer, aged 9, who arrived in New York, NY in 1901 5
- Franz Gainer, aged 76, who arrived in New York, NY in 1901 5
- Katherina Gainer, aged 5, who landed in New York, NY in 1901 5
- Lydia Gainer, who arrived in New York, NY in 1901 5
- Margretha Gainer, aged 32, who arrived in New York, NY in 1901 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gainer migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Gainer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Gainer, aged 25 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Industry" departing from the port of Sligo, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 6
Gainer 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:
Gainer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. A. Gainer, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th April 1863 7
- Mr. G. Gainer, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 13th April 1863 7
Contemporary Notables of the name Gainer (post 1700) +
- Terrance William Gainer (b. 1947), the 38th and current Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate
- Derrick Luther Gainer (b. 1966), former American NFL running back
- Derrick "Smoke" Gainer (b. 1972), American boxer
- Dellos "Sheriff" Clinton Gainer (1886-1947), Major League Baseball first baseman
- Glenn Walter Gainer (1896-1981), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1948 8
- Glen B. III Gainer (b. 1960), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates 8th District, 1982; West Virginia State Auditor, 1993- 8
- Glen B. Gainer Jr. (1927-2009), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Parkersburg, West Virginia, 1968-70; West Virginia State Auditor, 1977-93 8
- Glen Gainer, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 2004 8
- Fred Gainer, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Parkersburg, West Virginia, 1940-56 8
- Denzil Lee Gainer (1913-1972), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1972 8
- ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Citations +
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
- "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)
- Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 29)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html