4,190 Global DRAIN Family Members

DRAIN Family History

This very interesting English surname has several possible origins. Recorded in the various spellings of Drane, Drain, Dran, Drayn, Dreng, Drains etc. the most likely explanation for most nameholders is that they are of Norse-Viking origins. The derivation in that case is from the pre 7th century personal name 'Dreng' which in the English context describes a 'freeman who held lands'. The second explanation is topographical and describes a person resident by a 'drain'. This was not a small pipe or ditch but usually a major canalised river such as the 'Great Drain of Bedford', whose origins date back to Roman times...