UK boy's name
Adair
A Celtic name meaning "ford across the river".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Adair is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Adair popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3478, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 5 births.
This profile covers 17 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 1998 to 2016. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 17 living people in the UK are called Adair. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Adair ranked #3478 for boys in England and Wales in 2016, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 5 boys were registered as Adair.
- • About 17 living people in the UK are estimated to have Adair as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3478
2016
Births in 2016
5
Latest year
Peak year
2010
5 births
Estimated living
17
2026
Meaning
What does Adair mean?
The name Adair has its origins in the Gaelic language, derived from the Old Irish word "athar," meaning "ford" or "shallow crossing." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, when it was used as a topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a ford or a shallow river crossing.
The earliest recorded use of Adair as a first name dates back to the 12th century in Scotland, where it was primarily used as a surname by families living in the Scottish Lowlands. One of the earliest documented references to the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of homage sworn to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the rise of the Adair family, a Scottish clan based in County Antrim, Ireland. The most notable member of this family was Sir Robert Adair (1763-1855), a British diplomat and politician who served as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and later as Governor of Bombay.
Another influential figure bearing the name Adair was John Adair (1757-1840), an American soldier and politician who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as Governor of Kentucky from 1820 to 1824.
In the realm of literature, Adair appears in the works of Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), who featured characters with this name in his novels, such as "The Bride of Lammermoor" and "The Heart of Midlothian."
One of the most famous bearers of the name Adair in the 20th century was Adair Craigmill (1913-1989), an American journalist and author known for her work as a war correspondent during World War II and the Korean War.
Another notable figure was Adair Crawford (1748-1795), an American pioneer and Revolutionary War soldier who played a significant role in the settlement of Kentucky and Tennessee.
While the name Adair has its roots in Scotland and Ireland, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, particularly in North America and Australia, where it has gained popularity as a given name for both males and females.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Adair over time
The chart below shows babies named Adair registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Adair, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2016, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adair by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Adair was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3405 | 10 | 2 |
| 2000s | #2857 | 4 | 1 |
| 1990s | #2901 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Adair
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Adair: questions and answers
How popular is the name Adair in the UK right now?
In 2016, Adair was ranked #3478 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Adair most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 5 babies registered as Adair in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Adair?
A Celtic name meaning "ford across the river".
How many people are called Adair in the UK?
A total of 17 babies have been registered as Adair across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.