RAINER
Rainer is a surname of German origin, derived from the personal name Reginher, a compound of the elements regin meaning “counsel” or “advice” and her meaning “army” or “warrior”. The combined meaning of the name is therefore that of a counselor in battle or a wise warrior.
In England the surname was introduced by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066. It appears in the Latinised form Rainerus in the Domesday Book of 1086. Early English records include Reynerus cancellarius in the Register of St. Benet of Holme, Norfolk, dated 1101, and a Ricardus filius Rainer in the 1148 Winton Rolls of Hampshire. The name was used as a patronymic, originally meaning “son of Rainer”. A list of early bearers of the name in England records William Reyner as living in Staffordshire in 1286 and Anabilla Rayner in Yorkshire in 1379.
Subsequent spellings have varied considerably. The most common Anglicised form is Rayner, but other variants include Raynor, Riner, Rainor, Reiner, Reinor, Rhineer and their pluralised forms. In continental Europe the name may appear as Rainier in French, Reginar in Flemish and Reiners in German‑speaking areas. The name also occurs in Poland as Rynarz or Rynar and in Austria as Reiner.
In noble heraldry a Rainer coat of arms is recorded as a silver shield with three fleurs‑de‑lis between eight gules crosslets. This emblem appears in the early pedigrees of families bearing the name in England and continental Europe.
Demographic records show that in 2017 the surname Rainer was borne by more than 21,000 individuals in Germany. In the United States the 2000 census recorded over 14,000 people with the name. The United Kingdom also contains a notable population of bearers of the surname and its variants, a phenomenon attributed to historic Huguenot and Jewish immigration. In contemporary politics the name appears in several German municipalities where candidates named Rainer have stood for local office, and it has also been borne by prominent Austrian officials in recent years.
Presently, the surname Rainer continues to be found widely in German‑speaking countries, in Switzerland, and in the broader European diaspora. It remains a recognised surname in North America, Australasia and South Africa, testifying to its longevity and the broad dispersion of its bearers across the globe.
Typical given names associated with the Rainer surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Jonathan
- Mark
- Martyn
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
Female
- Carol
- Charlotte
- Claire
- Deborah
- Gemma
- Karen
- Katherine
- Linda
- Louise
- Nicola
- Pauline
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Sukhvir
- Yvonne
Similar and related surnames
- Ragner
- Rahner
- Raine
- Raineri
- Rainero
- Rainert
- Rainger
- Rainier
- Rainieri
- Rainor
- Raner
- Raneri
- Ranicer
- Ranier
- Raniere
- Ranieri
- Ranner
- Ranners
- Rauner
- Raynar
- Rayner
- Raynerd
- Raynor
- Raynore
- Reaner
- Reayner
- Reener
- Regner
- Regnier
- Reigner
- Reignier
- Reinarz
- Reiner
- Reinerio
- Reiners
- Reinert
- Renaro
- Rener
- Renier
- Reniers
- Renner
- Renners
- Rennier
- Rennor
- Reynar
- Reyner
- Reynier
- Reyniers
- Reynor
- Riener
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Rainer in...
Braille
⠗⠁⠊⠝⠑⠗
Morse
.-..-..-...-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 591 people named Rainer in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around nine in a million people in Britain are named Rainer.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
