Explore the Family Name Rainey
The meaning of Rainey
1. Irish (Antrim and Down) and Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ráighne, from a personal name derived from the Old Norse name Rǫgnvaldr, itself from ragn- ‘god, divine power’ + vald ‘power, rule’ (see Ronald, Reynold). In Ireland the name became Mac Raighne, Ó Raighne, with modern forms Rainey, Raney, Reaney, Reanney, Reanny, Reany, Reinny, Rennie, Reyney, Ryney. 2. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Regny (Loire, France) common in the 12th and 13th centuries. 3. English: from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Rayn(e)y, Renie, a pet form of Reynold. 4. English: habitational name from Ranah Stones in the township of Thurlstone in Penistone (Yorkshire). The placename derives from Old Norse hrafn ‘raven’ + haugr ‘hill, mound’. Stones is a post-medieval addition, and refers to a number of boulders on the hillside. This Sheffield name, usually with the spelling Reaney, and correctly pronounced Rainey, is now often pronounced Reeney. Its best-known bearer is P. H. Reaney, who pioneered the modern study of English surname origins. 5. English (of French Huguenot origin): from the French personal name René (from Latin Renatus ‘reborn’). The name Renatus was borne by a 4th-century Christian saint, and became popular in France in the Middle Ages because of its transparent reference to Christian spiritual rebirth. See Rene.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rainey in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Rainey has shown a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. This can be observed with its ranking moving from 1462 to 1545 over the decade, a decrease of 5.68 percent. However, the overall count of individuals with the surname Rainey increased by 3.99 percent, from 22,397 in 2000 to 23,291 in 2010. This indicates that while the name may have dropped in rank, more people identified as Rainey in 2010 than in 2000. Additionally, the proportion of Raineys in the population per 100,000 decreased by 4.82 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,462 | #1,545 | -5.68% |
| Count | 22,397 | 23,291 | 3.99% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.3 | 7.9 | -4.82% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rainey
Examining the ethnic identity of those holding the Rainey surname, it's clear there were shifts in the composition from 2000 to 2010, as indicated by data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The number of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 21.43 percent, and those claiming two or more races increased by 40.82 percent. At the same time, the proportion identifying as White decreased slightly by 3.84 percent, yet still represented the majority at 63.18 percent in 2010. A significant increase was seen among Hispanics, with an increase of 58.87 percent, while those identifying as Black saw a minor increase of 3.08 percent. Those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also grew, up 36 percent from 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.7% | 63.18% | -3.84% |
| Black | 30.81% | 31.76% | 3.08% |
| Two or More Races | 1.47% | 2.07% | 40.82% |
| Hispanic | 1.24% | 1.97% | 58.87% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.5% | 0.68% | 36% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.28% | 0.34% | 21.43% |
Rainey 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 Rainey is British & Irish, which comprises 54.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.5%) and Nigerian (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.9% |
| French & German | 20.5% |
| Nigerian | 3.8% |
| Other | 20.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Rainey
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 Rainey have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 83.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
What Rainey 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 Rainey is R-M467, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M467 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-FGC11908, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hinds, Drew, Potter, Guthrie, Lynn, Monk, Raney, Holloway, Hardy, Mackay.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rainey surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your 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 Rainey 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.
"Rainey" Surname 36.7%
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.
"Rainey" Surname 35.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Rainey" Surname 19.4%
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.
"Rainey" Surname 16.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Rainey?
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 Rainey are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition