Archaeological findings in the area surrounding the village reveal evidence of continuous settlement from the Bronze Age through to early Saxon times, including remains from the Neolithic, Iron Age, Romano-British, and Anglo-Saxon periods. It is believed that the name "Rainham" may originate from the Saxon term "roeginga-ham," meaning "settlement of the prevailing people." River crossings to Kent predate the Roman occupation, and over time, numerous long and short ferries have been introduced. One such ferry, the "short ferry" from Erith in Kent to Rainham Ferry, was established in the 12th century.

During medieval times, Rainham was one of the fourteen parishes of the Chafford Hundred, occupying its south westerly corner adjoining the Liberty of Havering. As a small port for coastal shipping, Rainham Creek was utilized as a means of ferrying out livestock (there was extensive grazing on the marshes) as early as 1200. Local trade and employment continued to be linked to the intensive river traffic, with a focus on the creek and its wharves, providing work for shipwrights, watermen, and lightermen.

Prior to the 1860s, the growth of the village was minimal. By 1670, there were only 44 houses in the parish, and the village remained relatively small until the advent of industry and the railway, which led to subsequent suburban expansion. As a result, the population of the village grew from 868 in 1868 to 3,897 in 1931. The introduction of industry and the establishment of the village as the nucleus of a dormitory suburb was a significant factor in this growth. The population almost doubled again after World War 2, reaching 7,666 in 1951.

The road pattern in the village remained relatively unchanged from medieval times to the late 19th century. Settlement in the Middle Ages was concentrated around the church, but the church is the only surviving medieval building. By the 17th century, the wharf and ferry across the Thames were well-established, and there were several public houses. Today, hardly any buildings from this period remain, except for the late 12th-century church, which is the oldest surviving building in the borough. The earliest surviving buildings are probably Nos. 2-8 Upminster Road, a group of timber-framed cottages dating back to around 1700, and the vicarage, a late 17th-century house that was encased in brick in 1710.

From the early 18th century, trade in the area saw significant growth, leading to the construction of several prominent houses, including Rainham Hall and Lodge, and Redberry House (also known as Redbury House). These houses were built using the profits from trade at the wharf, which was owned by John Harle in the early 18th century. He also built Rainham Hall in 1729. The wharf was eventually replaced in the early 20th century, and remained in use under different ownerships until 1969.

In 1854, the London Tilbury and Southern Railway opened a railway line as far as Tilbury, with a station in Rainham. The railway line rendered the "long" ferry route obsolete, but pleasure steamers continued to call. When the line was electrified in 1961, a new station was built. Housing growth in the later 19th and early 20th centuries was mainly to the east of the village centre, with a new shopping parade built in Upminster Road South in 1907. Three public houses were rebuilt in the village during this period.

Unfortunately, some later public buildings and offices built in the 1970s had utilitarian designs that did not fit well with the historic setting of the village. The construction of a Tesco superstore and a public car park on the outskirts of Rainham changed the way people accessed the village centre, with a footpath connecting the car park to Upminster Road South.