Given name & surname
Gaines
“one who acquires”
Gaines is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “one who acquires.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “one who acquires.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gaines through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,717
- 1,717 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 32 babies
- 2025
- 19
- #5,093 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −35%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 19 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,093 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, South Carolina had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 843 as a first name in 2020; 42,617 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gaines’s family of names
Gaines has a related form in Gaene. Gaines has a related form in Gaenes. Gaines has a related form in Gaine.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Gaines, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Gardner
“one who works the earth” · “the keeper of the garden”
97% boys · 3% girls
Yates
“keeper of the gates”
>99% boys
Wright
“a wood carver; a carpenter”
>99% boys
Manning
“daughter of Man” · “the son of the man; the son of the hero”
95% boys · 5% girls
Hale
“from the hall of light; a heroine” · “from the hall; a hero”
>99% boys
Orrin
“from the river”
>99% boys
Parley
“one who negotiates” · “a reluctant man”
93% boys · 7% girls
Caldwell
“of the cold well” · “from the cold spring”
>99% boys