Main Family History

Main Surname Meaning

Scottish: from a shortened form of the Scandinavian personal name Magnus which in Older Scots became Manus and Mane. English and Irish (of Norman origin) and also French: from the ancient Germanic personal name Ma(g)ino Meino from magan ‘strength might’.

English (of Norman origin): nickname for a large man from Old French magne maine ‘great big’. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from the French province of Maine.

Compare Mansell English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Mayenne in northern France.

Scottish and English: variant of Mains.

Americanized form of German Mein or Mehn.

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

Similar surnames: Bain, Mann, Hain, Mein, Marin, Malin, Mains, Cain, Maine, Maino

168K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
45K	Military Records
84K	Immigration Records
166K	Census and Voter Lists
420K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Main family from?

You can see how Main families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Main family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Main families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 89 Main families living in Quebec. This was about 21% of all the recorded Main's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Main families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Main surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Main

What did your Main ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Main. 41% of Main men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Main women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Main were Carpenter and Nurse.

View Census Data for Main

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.

Farmer

41%

Labourer

Laborer

Carpenter

Income

17%

Stenographer

13%

Housekeeper

12%

Nurse

What Main family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 166K census records available for the last name Main. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Main census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Main

Passenger List

There are 84K immigration records available for the last name Main. 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.

View all Main immigration records

Military Records

There are 45K military records available for the last name Main. For the veterans among your Main ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Main military records

You've only scratched the surface of Main family history

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What is the average Main lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Main life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Main in 1940 was 53, and 74 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Main family tree

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Main Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): nickname for a large man from Old French magne maine ‘great big’. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from the French province of Maine.

Compare Mansell English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Mayenne in northern France.

Scottish and English: variant of Mains.

Americanized form of German Mein or Mehn.

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

Where is the Main family from?

What did your Main ancestors do for a living?

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.

Farmer

41%

Labourer

Laborer

Carpenter

Income

17%

Stenographer

13%

Housekeeper

12%

Nurse

What Main family records will you find?

What is the average Main lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Main life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Main in 1940 was 53, and 74 in 2004.

Main Family History

Main Surname Meaning

884,000 record(s) for Main

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Main family from?

What did your Main ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Main family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Main family history

What is the average Main lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Main family tree

Search for another surname

Main Surname Meaning

884,000 record(s) for Main

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Main family from?

What did your Main ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Main family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Main family history

What is the average Main lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Main family tree

Search for another surname