Baines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An English surname, borne by various people, that is also used as a family name across Britain and elsewhere
2. A family name of English origin, found among many people in Britain and in countries settled by English speakers
3. Used as a surname, this English family name belongs to numerous individuals across Britain and beyond

Etymology: "Baines" is a surname rather than a common word, and its roots lie in Normandy. It is habitational, meaning it was taken from a place name: Bains, the name of villages in France, one in Ille-et-Vilaine and one in Maine-et-Loire. Those who lived at or came from such a place were often named after it, and the Old French word "baine," meaning "bath," gave the place its name. The surname also has a looser, English-based form. "Bain" and "Bane" were variant spellings of the same family name, and the extra "s" at the end was added over time, a pattern known as an excrescent "s." Once that ending settled in, "Baines" became a separate spelling in its own right, found in English-speaking families who carried the name across the centuries.