The Irish surname of Cain in Gaelic was O Cathain. The Scottish form in Gaelic is MacIain. The original Old French term of ‘cane’ meant a reed, the type used as matting on the floor. So Cain can refer to a weaver of reeds as matting or baskets. It can also refer to a person who is tall and thin. In the Welsh language it can mean something beautiful. Variations in spelling include Caine, Kain, Cane, O’Kane, O’Cain, Cahan, Kane, Keann, Kaine, Cahann, Ceane, Cean, Keane, and O’Cahan. The Derry region of Ireland is where the Cain families originated. In England the Cain population is mostly in the northern region, especially in Lancashire. In Scotland most Cain families live in the southern region around Lanarkshire. In the United States Cain families are in the southern and northern states. The higher populations are in Ohio, New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas and Alabama. Famous: Elizabeth Cain (ice skater from Australia), Matt Cain (professional baseball player), Tyler Cain (professional basketball player), Michael Cain (music composer) and Dean Cain (actor).