Maine
A surname that usually points to someone from the French province of Maine.
The #9,104 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 86,026 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally taken from the French province of Maine, in western France. The place-name goes back to the Roman-era name of the region, usually linked with the Cenomanian people. In surname use, it would have identified someone as coming from that area or connected with it.
History
English and Irish surname writers in the 19th century treat Maine as a place-name surname, often alongside Main and Mayne. It appears in medieval records and later in English-speaking countries, where it could be carried by families of French origin or simply preserved as a locational surname. Some historical writers also grouped it with other country-and-region surnames used to mark a person's place of origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries sometimes classed Maine with a whole family of surnames built from places, such as Ireland, Cornwall, and Guernsey.
From the historical record
“(Fr.-Celt.) One from the Duchy of Maine [Fr. Maine, the Lat.-Celt. Cenoma- nia'\ (Fr.-Lat.) name derived from an armorial or trade sign of a Hand (or a nick-”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)