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Blain Family History

Blain Name Meaning

Scottish: shortened form of MacBlain a shortened form of Mac Gille Blathain ‘son of Gille Blááin’ a personal name meaning ‘servant of Saint Bláán’. Bláán after whom Dunblane in Perthshire was named appears in placenames in both Ireland and Scotland. English: from Middle English bleyne ‘inflamed swelling on the surface of the body’ possibly a nickname for a person suffering from boils or some form of inflamation of the skin. English: habitational name from Blean in Kent named with Old English blēa (blēan oblique case) ‘course rough ground’. Altered form of French Abelin: from the personal name Abelin a pet form of Abel . The surname Abelin is rare in France found mainly in Charente-Maritime. French: altered form of Blin a shortened form of Belin and hence in part a cognate of 4 above. French: habitational name from Blain a place in Loire-Atlantique of Gaulish origin derived from the personal name Belenius or Blannius. This surname (in any of the three possible French senses; see also above) is also found in Haiti where it is however at least in part of English origin (see 2 and 3 above).

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

Similar surnames: Bain, Bean, Main, Brain, Lain, Cain, Blair, Bodin, Hain, Belin

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Where is the Blain family from?

You can see how Blain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Blain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Blain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 547 Blain families living in Quebec. This was about 57% of all the recorded Blain's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Blain families in 1911.

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

View Census Data for Blain

What did your Blain ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Blain | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Farmer
22%
Cultivateur
12%
Journalier
10%
Labourer
4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

Housekeeper
14%
Student
10%
Institutrice
8%
Teacher
8%

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What Blain family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 63,000 census records available for the last name Blain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Blain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search Canadian census records for Blain
Passenger Lists
There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Blain. 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 Blain immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Blain. For the veterans among your Blain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Blain military records

Census Records

There are 63,000 census records available for the last name Blain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Blain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Blain

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Blain. 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 Blain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Blain. For the veterans among your Blain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Blain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Blain family history

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What is the average Blain lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Blain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Blain in 1945 was 67, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Blain

Browse profiles of historical people with the Blain last name