Wain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Wain

What does the name Wain mean?

The Anglo-Saxons of Britain first developed the name Wain. It was a name given to someone who was a wainwright or wagon builder. The surname Wain is derived from the Old English word wægnwyrhta, which means wainwright. 1 2

"Wain is an old, but nearly obsolete, word for wagon. In Sussex, a shed in which wagons stand is called a wain-house or ' wen-hus,' and in some parts of England a wagoner is called a wain-man, whence the surname Wenman. Nor must we forget the constellation, Charles's Wain. A Wainwright was therefore synonymous with Cartwright and Wheelwright, also English surnames, and signified a builder of wagons." 1

Early Origins of the Wain family

The surname Wain was first found in Worcestershire where they were Lords of the manor of Dudelei from very ancient times, and it is possible that they are interrelated with the Norman Baron William FitzAnsculf whose castle was in Dudley.

One of the earliest records of the name was Alimar Wanwrecthe who was listed in Essex in 1237. Adam the Waynwrith was listed in Yorkshire in 1285 and Alan le Waynwright was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1285. 2

Early History of the Wain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wain research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1568, 1577, 1592 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Wain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wain Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Wain have been found, including Wainwright, Waynewright, Wainright, Wayn and others.

Early Notables of the Wain family

Distinguished members of the family include

Wainwright, Lord of the manor of Dudelei

Wain migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Wain, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were:

Wain Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jonathan Wain, who arrived in New Jersey in 1687 3

Wain migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wain Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Isaac Wain, aged 35, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Thetis" 4

Wain migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wain Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Wain, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Canning" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1857 5
Mrs. Mary Margaret Wain, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Canning" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1857 5
Mr. Frederick Wain, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Canning" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1857 5
Miss Margaret Elizabeth Wain, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Canning" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1857 5
Miss Ann Sophia Wain, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Canning" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1857 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Wain (post 1700) +

Bea Wain (1917-2017), born Beatrice Weinsier and was sometimes credited as Beatrice Wayne, an American Big Band-era singer
David Benjamin Wain (b. 1969), American comedian, writer, actor and director
Louis Wain (1860-1939), English artist
John Barrington Wain (1925-1994), English poet, novelist, and critic
Richard William Leslie Wain VC (1896-1917), Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross
Curtis Wain McGrath OAM (b. 1988), Australian paracanoeist and former soldier, three-time Paralympian
General Wilhelm Wain Prior (1876-1946), Danish Commander in Chief General Command (1939-1941) 6
Mr. Wain Douglas McIntosh M.B.E., British recipient of the Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to the Afro-Caribbean community in the UK and Abroad 7

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
South Australian Register Friday 1st September 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Emigrant 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/thetis1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 5) Wilhelm Prior. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Prior/Wilhelm_Wain/Denmark.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists