| ![Show Contents]() Sain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The story of the Sain family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The name Sain was derived from the Old English personal name Swein, which was originally derived from the Old Norse name Sveinn. This was one of the most common Scandinavian names in medieval Britain. Another source claims the name was an occupational name for someone "who acted as a servant or attendant; one who tended swine; descendant of Swain (young man, or boy servant)." 1 Sweyn or Svein (d. 1014), was "King of England and Denmark, called Forkbeard, son of Harold Blaatand, King of Denmark, probably by his Queen Gunhild, though it was said that his mother was a Slav, a servant in the house of Palna-Toki, or Tokko, in Funen. " 2 Earl Sweyn or Swegen (d. 1052), "the eldest son of Earl Godwin or Godwine and his wife Gytha, was early in 1043, when Edward or Eadward, called the Confessor, had become king, appointed to an earldom that was partly Mercian and partly West-Saxon, for it included Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Somerset. " 2 Early Origins of the Sain familyThe surname Sain was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, from very early times. Further south in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed early spelling of the family: John le Swein and Robert le Swein in Oxfordshire; and Geoffrey le Sueyn in Norfolk. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Robertus Swaynne. 3 "The ancient name of Swain, which is now best represented in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Devonshire, was established in the form of Sweyn, rarely of Swayn, during the 13th century in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire, being most numerous in the last two counties. " 4 Early History of the Sain familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sain research. Another 204 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1214, 1250, 1499, 1510, 1521, 1540, 1542, 1550, 1585, 1609, 1680, 1690 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Sain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sain Spelling VariationsSpelling variations are extremely common among Scottish names dating from this era because the arts of spelling and translation were not yet standardized. Spelling was done by sound, and translation from Gaelic to English was generally quite careless. In different records, Sain has been spelled Swan, Swann, Swanner, Swani, Swayne, Swein, Sweing, Sweyn and many more. Early Notables of the Sain familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was Charles Swan (killed 1690), who was forced into piracy by his crew in the 1680s. He was killed when he attempted to escape back to England on a Dutch ship with five thousand pounds.Robert Some...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sain Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sain RankingIn the United States, the name Sain is the 7,247th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5  Migration of the Sain family to Ireland
Some of the Sain family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Sain familyThose who made the voyage were greeted with ample opportunity to acquire land and a political climate far away from the oppressive monarchy of the old country. They settled along the east coast of what would become Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence, those who remained loyal to England traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In this century, many Scots living in North America have begun to recover their rich heritage through festivals, highland games, and Clan societies. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Sain: Edgar Swan, who landed in Virginia in 1635; Frances Swan, who landed in Barbados in 1670; John Swan, who landed in New Jersey in 1685; another John Swan, who landed in Virginia in 1635.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Sain (post 1700) | + |
- Gary Sain, American retired NASCAR Grand National Series driver who raced from 1962 to 1967
- Oliver Sain (1932-2003), American saxophonist, songwriter, bandleader, drummer and record producer
- John Franklin Sain (1917-2006), American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played from 1942 to 1955, the last pitcher to face Babe Ruth
- Ken Sain, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Kentucky 4th District, 2000 6
- Harry Sain, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1956 6
- Dan D. Sain (b. 1935), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1972; Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1988 6
- D. B. Sain, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1912 6
- Orlando Sain (b. 1912), Italian footballer
- Édouard Alexandre Sain (1830-1910), French painter
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: Fidelitas
Motto Translation: Fidelity.
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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