UK boy's name
Jair
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "he enlightens" or "may he enlighten".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jair is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jair popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 5 births.
This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2020 to 2024. 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.
Jair is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Jair. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jair ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 5 boys were registered as Jair.
- • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jair as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3688
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2024
5 births
Estimated living
12
2026
Meaning
What does Jair mean?
The name Jair has its origins in the Hebrew language, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "yaʾir," which means "he enlightens" or "he shines." The name is associated with light, illumination, and enlightenment.
One of the earliest historical references to the name Jair can be found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a judge who ruled over Israel for 22 years (Judges 10:3-5). This suggests that the name was in use among the ancient Israelites during the period of the judges, which is estimated to be around 1200-1000 BCE.
In the biblical account, Jair is described as having 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys and controlled 30 towns in the land of Gilead. This passage highlights the name's connection to leadership and authority during that era.
Another notable figure named Jair appears in the Book of Numbers (32:41), where he is mentioned as a descendant of the tribe of Manasseh who conquered and settled in the region of Gilead. This further reinforces the name's association with the ancient Israelites and their territorial conquests.
Outside of the Hebrew Bible, the name Jair has been used throughout history by various individuals of Jewish descent. One notable person was Jair ben Shmuel (c. 1590-1670), a prominent Talmudic scholar and author who lived in Poland during the 17th century.
In more recent times, Jair Bolsonaro (born 1955) is a Brazilian politician and former military officer who served as the 38th president of Brazil from 2019 to 2023.
Other notable individuals named Jair include Jair Messías Campos (1942-2017), a Brazilian football player and manager; Jair Lopes de Carvalho (born 1946), a Brazilian politician and former governor of the state of Minas Gerais; and Jair Jurrjens (born 1986), a Dutch-born Major League Baseball pitcher who played for various teams, including the Atlanta Braves.
The name Jair has maintained its connection to its Hebrew roots, with its meaning of "he enlightens" or "he shines" serving as a reminder of its ancient origins and associations with light, illumination, and enlightenment.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jair over time
The chart below shows babies named Jair registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2020 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jair, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jair by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jair 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4108 | 12 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Jair
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Jair: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jair in the UK right now?
In 2024, Jair was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Jair most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 5 babies registered as Jair in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jair?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "he enlightens" or "may he enlighten".
How many people are called Jair in the UK?
A total of 12 babies have been registered as Jair across the 3 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.