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Rainey Family History

Rainey Name Meaning

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. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Regny (Loire France) common in the 12th and 13th centuries. English: from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Rayn(e)y Renie a pet form of Reynold . 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. 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 .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Raine, Gainey, Raines, Radney, Cagney, Arney, Ranney, Hainey, Carney

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Where is the Rainey family from?

You can see how Rainey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rainey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rainey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 98 Rainey families living in Ontario. This was about 81% of all the recorded Rainey's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rainey families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rainey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rainey ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rainey. 41% of Rainey men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Rainey women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rainey were Storekeeper and Domestic. .

View Census Data for Rainey | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    41%
  • Labourer
    28%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Storekeeper
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housewife
    25%
  • Saleslady
    25%
  • Stenographer
    25%
  • Domestic
    25%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rainey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 81,000 census records available for the last name Rainey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rainey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rainey

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Rainey. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Rainey. For the veterans among your Rainey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Rainey lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Rainey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Rainey in 1940 was 62, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rainey

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Rainey family tree

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