Bain or Bains is an English, French, Punjabi (

Jatt Jatt may refer to: * Jat people, a social group of the Indian subcontinent * Jatt, Israel Jatt ( ar, جت; he, גַ'ת) is an Arab local council in the Triangle area of Haifa District in Israel. In it had a population of . History Antiquity ...

), and Scottish

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

. It may also be a variant form of a German surname. Bains shares many of the origins of the surname

Baines Baines is a surname of English, Scottish or Welsh origin. It shares many of the same roots with the British surname Bains.Reaney, P.H. ''A Dictionary of British Surnames'' Routledge & Kegan Paul, 2nd edition (1976)Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Di ...

Origin of the surname

Northern English

There are two origins for the Northern English surname. #The northern English surname ''Bains'' is sometimes derived from a nickname meaning "bone", which probably referred to someone who was exceptionally tall, or lean. This nickname is derived from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

''ban'', meaning "bone". In northern dialects of

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

, the ''a'' was preserved, but in southern dialects the a was changed to ''o'' (the southern form became the standard). #In other cases, the northern English surname is derived from a nickname of a hospitable person. This nickname is derived from the northern Middle English ''beyn'', ''bayn'', which mean "welcoming", "friendly"; these are in turn derived from the Old Norse ''beinn'', meaning "straight", "direct".

English/French

An English and French origin of the surname Bains is from the occupational name of an attendant of a

public bath Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...

house. This name is derived from the Middle English, and

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

''baine'', meaning "bath".

French

There are several other derivations of the

French surname French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

. #One French derivation of the surname ''Bains'' is from a topographic name, for someone who lived near a Roman bath. This name is derived from the Old French ''baine'', meaning "bath". #In other cases, the name may originate from a habitational name, derived from a place in

Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; br, Il-ha-Gwilen) is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named after the two rivers of the Ille and the Vilaine. It had a population of 1,079,498 in 2019.

Scottish

The

Scottish surname Scottish surnames are surnames currently found in Scotland, or surnames that have a historical connection with the country. History The earliest surnames found in Scotland occur during the reign of David I, King of Scots (1124–53). These were ...

''Bains'' is derived from a nickname for a person with fair-hair. This name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''bàn'', meaning "white", "fair". The name was common in the Scottish Highlands, and is first recorded in 1324 in Perth. The surname can also be, in some cases, a reduced form of the surname '' McBain''. The

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

form of the surname ''Bains'' is ''Bàins'' (masculine), and ''Bhàin'' (feminine).

German

The name may also be a variant spelling of the north

German surname Personal names in German-speaking Europe consist of one or several given names (''Vorname'', plural ''Vornamen'') and a surname (''Nachname, Familienname''). The ''Vorname'' is usually gender-specific. A name is usually cited in the " Western or ...

'' Behn''. which cited for the surname "Erskine".

Punjabi

The

Punjabi surname Indian names are based on a variety of systems and naming conventions, which vary from region to region. Names are also influenced by religion and caste and may come from epics. India's population speaks a wide variety of languages and nearly ...

''Bains'' is common amongst Punjabi Jats. Bhim Singh Dahiya writes with reference to Heornle and Cunningham that Harshavardhana belonged to this clan. He's connected with Shrimalpur, a village in East Punjab that's nowadays known as Māhalpur (District of Hoshiarpur, Punjab). Even today, it's inhabited by the Bains clan of Jats. They are mentioned in Mahabharata along with Khatkal, Karaskar, Mahishaka, Karkana and Viraka, by their Sanskrit name Mahisha which becomes or Bhains or Bains in Indian language of English word buffalo. Bains is one of 36 royal clans in India along with Salar, Dahima etc. The meaning of the surname is not clear.

People with the surname

Addison Bain Addison Bain is a retired NASA scientisthttps://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/html/e3-menu.html (Expert Interview) and founding member of the National Hydrogen Association who is credited with postulating the Incendiary Paint Theory (IPT), which posit ...

, NASA scientist *

Alexander Bain (philosopher) Alexander Bain (11 June 1818 – 18 September 1903) was a Scottish philosopher and educationalist in the British school of empiricism and a prominent and innovative figure in the fields of psychology, linguistics, logic, moral philosophy and ...

(1818–1903), Scottish philosopher and educationist *

Alexander Bain (inventor) Alexander Bain (12 October 1810 – 2 January 1877) was a Scottish inventor and engineer who was first to invent and patent the electric clock. He invented the Telegraph Clock, which was a technology of synchronizing many electric clocks pla ...

(1811–1877), Scottish instrument inventor, technician, and clockmaker *

Aly Bain Aly Bain MBE (born 15 May 1946) is a Scottish fiddler who learned his instrument from the old-time master Tom Anderson. The former First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell called Bain a "Scottish icon." Career Bain was born in the town ...

(born 1946), Scottish fiddler *

Andrew Geddes Bain Andrew Geddes Bain (baptised 11 June 1797 – 20 October 1864), was a South African geologist, road engineer, palaeontologist and explorer. Life history The only child of Alexander Bain and Jean Geddes, both of whom died when Bain was still a ...

(–1864), South African geologist, road engineer, palaeontology and explorer *

Atu Emberson Bain Atu Emberson Bain (born ~) is a Fijian political leader. A leading figure in the Fiji Labour Party (FLP), she served from 1999 to 2006 as one of 8 Senators nominated by the Leader of the Opposition. Bain was educated at the University of Oxfor ...

, Fijian political leader *

Barbara Bain Barbara Bain (born Mildred Fogel; September 13, 1931) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cinnamon Carter on the action television series '' Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1969), which earned her three Primetime Emmy Awar ...

(born 1931), American actress * Barbara J. Bain, Australian professor of haematology *

Bill Bain (disambiguation) Bill Bain or William Bain may refer to: *Bill Bain (consultant) (1937–2018), American management consultant, founder of Bain & Company *Bill Bain (American football) (born 1952), American football player * Bill Bain (director) (1929–1982), Aust ...

, several persons *

Bonar Bain Bonar Stewart Bain (February 4, 1923 – February 18, 2005) was a Canadian actor and the identical twin brother of actor Conrad Bain. Life and career Bain once played a fictional "evil" twin to Conrad ("Hank Bain") in an episode of '' SCTV'', as ...

(1923–2005), Canadian actor and identical twin brother of Conrad Bains *

Conrad Bain Conrad Stafford Bain (February 4, 1923 – January 14, 2013) was a Canadian-American comedian and actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom ''Diff'rent Strokes'', as Dr. Arthur Harmon on '' Maude'', ...

(1923–2013), Canadian actor and identical twin brother of Bonar Bains *

Dan Bain Donald Henderson Bain (February 14, 1874 – August 15, 1962) was a Canadian amateur athlete and merchant. Though he competed and excelled in numerous sports, Bain is most notable for his ice hockey career. While a member of the Winnipeg Vic ...

(1874–1962), Canadian athlete and merchant *

David Bain On 20 June 1994, Robin and Margaret Bain and three of their four childrenArawa, Laniet and Stephenwere shot to death in Dunedin, New Zealand. The only suspects were David Cullen Bain, the eldest son and only survivor, and Robin Bain, the father ...

(born 1972), New Zealander associated with one of that country's most notable murder cases * Donald Bain (disambiguation), several persons * Edgar Bain (1891–1971), American metallurgist *

Ewen Bain Ewen Bain (23 June 1925 – 18 December 1989) was a Scottish Highlander cartoonist, whose most notable creation was the '' Angus Og'' comic strip, a stereotypical depiction of the quintessential 20th century Highlander, which ran in the Glasgow ...

(1925–1989), Scottish cartoonist *

F. W. Bain Francis William Bain (29 April 1863 – 24 February 1940) was a British writer of fantasy stories that he claimed were translated from Sanskrit. Biography He was born on 29 April 1863, the son of Joseph Bain. He was educated at Westminster S ...

(1863–1940), British writer * George Bain (disambiguation), several persons *

Harry Bains Harry Bains is a Canadian politician serving as the Minister of Labour in British Columbia. He has been the NDP MLA for Surrey-Newton since 2005. Career Bains has experience in education due to his service on the Kwantlen University College ...

, Canadian politician * H. Foster Bain (1871–1948), American geologist * Jean Bain, Australian basketball player * James Bain (disambiguation), several persons *

Jimmy Bain James Stewart Bain (19 December 1947 – 23 January 2016) was a Scottish musician, best known for playing bass guitar in the bands Rainbow and Dio. He also worked with Kate Bush and Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo ...

(1947–2016), Scottish bassist * Joe S. Bain (1912–1991), American economist * John P. Bain or

TotalBiscuit John Peter Bain (8 July 1984 – 24 May 2018), better known as TotalBiscuit ( ; or sometimes The Cynical Brit or TotalHalibut), was an English video gaming commentator and game critic on YouTube. He was known for his role in professional shoutc ...

(1984–2018), British game critic and commentator * Ken Bain, American professor and author * Kevin Bain (born 1972), Scottish footballer *

Mary Monnett Bain Mary Monnett Bain (Mary Monnett; September 21, 1833, in Marion County, Ohio – July 30, 1885, in Osawatomie, Miami County, Kansas), following her mother's death, came into a very large sum of money. She is known for the construction of Monnett ...

(1833–1885), American Methodist * Raymone Bain, spokeswoman from the public relations firm Davis, Bain & Associates Inc. * Robert Bain (disambiguation), several people *

Robin Bain Robin Bain (born February 12, 1980) is an American actress, writer and director. Career Early work Robin Bain is a graduate of the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from the USC School of Dramatic ...

(born 1980), American actress *

Sam Bain Sam Bain (born 3 August 1971) is a British comedy writer, best known for the Channel 4 sitcom ''Peep Show''. He attended St Paul's School in London before graduating from the University of Manchester, where he met his writing partner Jesse Armst ...

(born 1971), British television writer *

Thomas Bain Thomas Bain (December 14, 1834 – January 18, 1915) was a Scottish born Canadian parliamentarian. Bain was born in Scotland, the son of Walter Bain, and migrated to Canada with his family when he was three years old. They settled on a bu ...

(1834–1915), Canadian parliamentarian * Wilfred Conwell Bain (1908–1997), American music educator * William Bain (disambiguation), several persons

References

{{surname, Bains English-language surnames French-language surnames German-language surnames Scottish Gaelic-language surnames