Explore the Family Name Kain
The meaning of Kain
1. Scottish variant of Irish Kane. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Cohen. 3. South German (mainly Bavaria and Austria): from a short form of the personal name Konrad. 4. German (Saxony-Anhalt): topographic name of Slavic origin (see 5 and Kaina 2). 5. Germanized form of Sorbian Chójna ‘pine’ or its altered form Kajn (see Kaina 2).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kain in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Kain has seen a mild increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Kain ranked at 6,651 in terms of commonality, but rose marginally to 6,603 by 2010, marking a small change of 0.72%. The count of individuals bearing this name also grew by 9.52%, from 4,686 in 2000 to 5,132 in 2010. Despite these changes, the proportion of people named Kain per 100k remained steady at 1.74.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,651 | #6,603 | 0.72% |
| Count | 4,686 | 5,132 | 9.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.74 | 1.74 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kain
With respect to ethnicity, there have been some fluctuations over the decade as evidenced by data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of those identified as Asian/Pacific Islander with the Kain surname more than doubled, rising from 1.37% to 3.14%. There was also an increase in the Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, with increases of 44.78% and 42.11% respectively. Those identifying as two or more races saw a modest rise of 14.92%. The majority of people with the surname Kain, however, still identify as White, despite a decrease from 92.53% to 89.58%. The only group to see a decline was those who identify as Black, decreasing from 1.79% to 1.60%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.53% | 89.58% | -3.19% |
| Hispanic | 2.3% | 3.33% | 44.78% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.37% | 3.14% | 129.2% |
| Two or More Races | 1.81% | 2.08% | 14.92% |
| Black | 1.79% | 1.6% | -10.61% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.19% | 0.27% | 42.11% |
Kain ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Kain is British & Irish, which comprises 46.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.0%) and Eastern European (5.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 46.6% |
| French & German | 24.0% |
| Eastern European | 5.6% |
| Other | 23.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Kain
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Kain have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 80.60% |
What Kain haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Kain is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S660 and R-M417, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kane, Larkin, Kenney, Kelly, Connor, Dugan, Daly, Hannan, Kearney, Daley.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kain surname are: H1, H, U5a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Kain have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Kain" Surname 34.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Kain" Surname 28.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kain" Surname 29.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Kain" Surname 20.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kain?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Kain are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition