Gaines Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gaines last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gaines last name
Meaning of the Gaines last name: crafty, ingenious. Gaines is an English surname of Norman origin, from Old French engaine, "trickery, ingenuity", a nickname for a crafty man. The Engaine family held land in Northamptonshire. In the United States the last name was carried by General Edmund Gaines, after whom Gainesville in Florida is named.
Arms associated with the Gaines name
Coats of arms associated with the Gaines last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Gaines family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gaines story. The full Gaines history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gaines coat of arms. Get the full Gaines report.
Gaines name FAQ
What does the Gaines name mean?
crafty, ingenious. Common variants include Gains, Engaine.
Where does the Gaines surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Gaines coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gaines coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).