Contents [hide]

Rains History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Rains History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Today's generation of the Rains family bears a name that was brought to England by the wave of emigration that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the short forms of various Germanic personal names containing the element Ragin, meaning counsel. It it thought that the name could also have been derived from Rennes, in Brittany. 1 However, not all of the family joined the Conqueror as seen by the listing of Warenger Raine in Normandy (1180-1195.) 2

Phillipe de Rim or De Remi (c. 1246-1296), was long treated by English authorities as an Anglo-Norman poet, to whom were assigned two romances 'La Manekine' and 'Jehan de Dammartin et Blonde d'Oxford.' "Both show a close knowledge of Scottish and English life and topography in the thirteenth century." 3

Early Origins of the Rains family

The surname Rains was first found in Essex where Roger Rayne was granted lands at Rayne as companion in arms of William the Conqueror. 4 5 Other early spellings of the name include De Raines and Raneis. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Alice Reine in Cambridgeshire; John Reyn and Nicholas Reyn in Lincolnshire; Robert de Rennes in Oxfordshire; and Richard de Rennes. 6

The Feet of Fines for Essex in 1203-1204 includes an entry for Alveva de Reines and later the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire includes Richard de Rayns in 1297. Later Nicholas de Reynes was found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301. 5

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Robert Rayne; Johannes Rayne; Richard Rayneson; and William Rayne. 6

Early History of the Rains family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rains research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1280 and 1530 are included under the topic Early Rains History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rains Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Rains have been found, including Raines, Raine, Rayne and others.

Early Notables of the Rains family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Reynes (fl. 1530), an English stationer and bookbinder in London, carried on business at the sign of St...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rains Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rains Ranking

In the United States, the name Rains is the 2,900^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 7

Rains migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Rains were among those contributors:

Rains Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Rains, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 8
Rodulf Rains, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1727 8
Peter Rains, who landed in North Carolina in 1764 8

Rains Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lewis Rains, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1861
Lee Rains, aged 31, who settled in America from Liverpool, in 1897

Rains Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Rose Rains, aged 34, who settled in America, in 1904
Frances M. Rains, who landed in America, in 1904
Katie Rains, who landed in America, in 1907
Lous Rains, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
James Edmund Rains, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Borrowash, England, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rains migration to Australia +

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

Rains Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Rains, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 9
Sarah Rains, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 9
Miss Jane Rains, aged 18, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship "Bolton"

Rains 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:

Rains Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Conrad Rains, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "John Wickliffe" in 1848 10
Elizabeth Rains, aged 17, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Douglas" in 1873

Contemporary Notables of the name Rains (post 1700) +

James Spencer Rains (1817-1880), American brigadier general of the Missouri State Guard during the American Civil War
James Edward Rains (1833-1862), American lawyer and general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
Dan Rains (b. 1956), former professional American football player
Gabriel James Rains (1803-1881), American career United States Army officer and a brigadier general
Traver Rains (b. 1977), American TV personality and celebrity fashion designer and photographer
Jack Morris Rains (b. 1937), American politician, 95th Secretary of State of Texas
Emory Rains (1800-1878), American lawyer, judge and political leader in the Republic of Texas
Albert McKinley Rains (1902-1991), U.S. Representative from Alabama
James Edward Rains, American lawyer and brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
Charles L. Rains, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Galena, Kansas, 1909-12 11
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Rains family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Terry Lynn Rains (1956-1985), American Captain from Clarksville, Tennessee, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 12

USS Indianapolis

Rufus Brady Rains, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 13

The Rains Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Judicium parium aut leges terrae
Motto Translation: The judgement of my peers, or the laws of the land.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"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) NAVARINO 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837Navarino.htm
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 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew