NameCensus.

UK surname

Adair

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "oak tree ford" in Gaelic.

In the 1881 census there were 920 people recorded with the Adair surname, ranking it #4,168 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,261, ranked #2,873, up from #4,168 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rutherglen, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, IZ08 and Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Adair is 2,291 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 145.8%.

1881 census count

920

Ranked #4,168

Modern count

2,261

2016, ranked #2,873

Peak year

2010

2,291 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Adair had 920 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,168 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,261 in 2016, ranked #2,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,130 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Adair surname distribution map

The map shows where the Adair surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Adair surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Adair over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 503 #4,971
1861 historical 563 #4,680
1881 historical 920 #4,168
1891 historical 1,003 #4,135
1901 historical 1,130 #4,293
1911 historical 523 #7,566
1997 modern 2,010 #3,040
1998 modern 2,057 #3,087
1999 modern 2,096 #3,068
2000 modern 2,082 #3,070
2001 modern 2,062 #3,028
2002 modern 2,114 #3,030
2003 modern 2,053 #3,052
2004 modern 2,059 #3,044
2005 modern 2,051 #3,008
2006 modern 2,108 #2,944
2007 modern 2,131 #2,939
2008 modern 2,154 #2,938
2009 modern 2,250 #2,895
2010 modern 2,291 #2,908
2011 modern 2,237 #2,936
2012 modern 2,179 #2,940
2013 modern 2,221 #2,939
2014 modern 2,267 #2,907
2015 modern 2,244 #2,904
2016 modern 2,261 #2,873

Geography

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Where Adairs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rutherglen, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, IZ08, Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside, Oban North and North Dorset. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rutherglen Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 IZ08 West Dunbartonshire
3 Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside South Lanarkshire
4 Oban North Argyll and Bute
5 North Dorset 004 North Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Adair

These lists show first names that appear often with the Adair surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Adair

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Adair, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Adair surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Adair household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Adair is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Adair is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Adair falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Adair is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Adair, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Adair

The surname Adair is of Scottish origin, derived from the Scottish Gaelic name Adhaimh, meaning "man of fire" or "Adam." The name is believed to have originated in the area of Galloway in southwestern Scotland during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists several individuals with the surname Adair or similar spellings, such as Adeir or Adeyr, who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was well-established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

The Adair surname is also associated with the Adair family, a prominent Scottish clan that held lands in County Antrim, Ireland, from the 16th century onwards. Sir Robert Adair (c. 1580-1640) was a notable member of this clan and served as the High Sheriff of County Antrim.

In the 17th century, the name Adair appeared in the Muster Rolls of New England, indicating that individuals bearing this surname had migrated to the American colonies. One such individual was Robert Adair, who was born in Scotland in 1613 and settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Other notable individuals with the surname Adair throughout history include:

1. James Adair (1709-1783), a British trader and historian who lived among Native American tribes and wrote extensively about their customs and traditions.

2. John Adair (1757-1840), an American pioneer and politician who served as the eighth Governor of Kentucky from 1820 to 1824.

3. Cornelia Adair (1837-1921), an American educator and philanthropist who founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.

4. Sir Frederick Adair (1886-1962), a British diplomat who served as the Governor of Bombay Presidency in British India from 1932 to 1937.

5. Gilbert Adair (1944-2011), an English novelist and filmmaker known for his works such as "The Holy Innocents" and "The Dreamers."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Adair families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Adair surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 175 Adairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.95x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 175 5.95x
Lancashire 135 1.25x
Wigtownshire 106 87.71x
Ayrshire 81 11.89x
Cumberland 72 9.19x
Renfrewshire 50 7.09x
Midlothian 37 3.03x
Middlesex 33 0.36x
Durham 26 0.96x
Dunbartonshire 25 10.22x
Surrey 19 0.43x
Derbyshire 17 1.19x
Stirlingshire 17 5.06x
Angus 13 1.54x
Fife 13 2.41x
Dumfriesshire 11 5.47x
Somerset 10 0.68x
Cheshire 9 0.45x
Hampshire 9 0.48x
Channel Islands 8 2.97x
Gloucestershire 8 0.45x
Yorkshire 8 0.09x
Warwickshire 6 0.26x
Kent 5 0.16x
Essex 4 0.22x
Sussex 4 0.26x
Argyllshire 3 1.18x
Berkshire 3 0.44x
Devon 3 0.16x
Leicestershire 3 0.30x
Royal Navy 3 2.77x
Dorset 2 0.33x
Glamorgan 2 0.13x
Isle of Man 2 1.18x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 1.52x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.17x
Inverness-shire 1 0.37x
Monmouthshire 1 0.15x
Northamptonshire 1 0.12x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.35x
Perthshire 1 0.24x
Shropshire 1 0.13x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 45 Adairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.18x.

Place Total Index
Govan 45 6.18x
Liverpool 38 5.79x
Kilmarnock 28 34.54x
Maryhill 28 48.59x
Rutherglen 26 60.21x
Barony 22 2.95x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 22 4.48x
Crosscanonby 21 81.05x
Leswalt 21 253.62x
Glasgow 20 3.83x
Kirkcowan 20 491.40x
Stranraer 17 153.85x
Kilmalcolm 16 189.35x
Kilsyth 16 74.77x
Toxteth Park 15 4.10x
Barrow In Furness 14 9.53x
Everton 14 4.07x
Kirkinner 14 280.56x
Tarbolton 14 124.89x
New Cumnock 12 101.61x
Derby St Peter 11 24.23x
Mochrum 11 152.35x
Neilston 11 31.06x
Dreghorn 10 81.10x
Dumfries 10 50.43x
Whitehaven 10 23.94x
Blantyre 9 29.37x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 5.25x
Garston 9 28.24x
Old Kilpatrick 9 31.14x
Caldewgate 8 18.64x
Dalserf 8 27.24x
Old Monkland 8 6.85x
Pittington 8 105.12x
Row 8 25.28x
St Marylebone London 8 1.65x
Burntisland 7 46.48x
Cadder 7 32.20x
Esher 7 112.72x
Kilwinning 7 31.83x
Old Luce 7 91.74x
Walton On Hill 7 11.97x
West Rainton 7 83.53x
Abbey 6 5.58x
Arbroath 6 21.47x
Bishopwearmouth 6 2.58x
Cheltenham 6 4.36x
Egremont 6 32.12x
Lambeth 6 0.76x
Port Glasgow 6 17.60x
St John 6 116.50x
Trull 6 200.67x
Workington 6 13.37x
Ardrossan 5 21.20x
Ardwick 5 5.13x
Church Gresley 5 22.06x
Inverkip 5 30.08x
Kingsbarns 5 201.61x
Kirkintilloch 5 15.05x
Liff Benvie 5 3.91x
Portpatrick 5 123.46x
Rotherwick 5 349.65x
Brandon Byshottles 4 11.79x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 4 47.34x
Emley 4 99.26x
Flimby 4 60.42x
Great Budworth 4 112.36x
Hackney London 4 0.78x
Kensington London 4 0.79x
Kirkdale 4 2.20x
North Leith 4 7.09x
Preston Quarter 4 18.21x
St Pancras London 4 0.55x
West Derby 4 1.27x
Aston 3 0.47x
Heaton Norris 3 4.88x
Hensingham 3 46.88x
Kirkcolm 3 51.81x
Stoneykirk 3 34.72x
West Greenock 3 2.37x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Adair surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Adair surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 29
John 24
James 22
Robert 17
George 12
Henry 11
Joseph 9
Thomas 9
Charles 6
David 5
Alexander 3
Campbell 3
Hugh 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harold 2
Jno. 2
Nevin 2
Peter 2
Robin 2
Allan 1
Chas.H. 1
Desmond 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Elliot 1
Elliott 1
F. 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Gerald 1
Haek 1
Hubert 1
Louis 1
Michael 1
Patricius 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Shafto 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wiliam 1

FAQ

Adair surname: questions and answers

How common was the Adair surname in 1881?

In 1881, 920 people were recorded with the Adair surname. That placed it at #4,168 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Adair surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,261 in 2016. That gives Adair a modern rank of #2,873.

What does the Adair surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "oak tree ford" in Gaelic.

What does the Adair map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Adair bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.