Gaines

Gaines - A very unique male name

Gaines appeared on the charts for the first time in 1915 on position #997. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Gaines and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Gaines? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Gaines. The baby boy name Gaines was given to 5 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3982 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 293,257 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Gaines peaked in popularity 86 years ago in 1940 on position 966.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Gaines, 1-5?

Gaines is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Gaines is currently topping the baby name charts in South Carolina at position #783 - and is the least popular in South Carolina at position #783.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Gaines is where you live.

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Gaines origin and meaning

English and Welsh surname

A transferred surname whose own meaning is uncertain; proposals link it to Welsh and Norman French elements without agreement

Gaines is a surname of Welsh and Norman background that has passed into occasional US first-name use over a long span, from 1915, without ever becoming established. Scholarship does not agree on the surname's derivation, so no meaning is asserted. Its first-name peak came in 1940 and recent use is a faint survival.

Origin uncertain

Gaines is a 6 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Gaines, pop culture references for the name Gaines and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Gaines

We've found the following names that sound similar to Gaines, sorted by popularity.

Genesis / Giannis / Ganesh /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Gaines

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Gaines a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Gaines?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

GAYNZ · /ɡeɪnz/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Gains — Form without the e
• Gainey — Related surname form

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Parents choosing Gaines usually do so for a family surname or its crisp, one-syllable, preppy sound.

Worth knowing

• It reads as a plural or a verb — 'gains' — which will draw comment