NameCensus.

UK surname

Blair

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from Gaelic blár, meaning "field, plain, or battlefield."

In the 1881 census there were 7,768 people recorded with the Blair surname, ranking it #547 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,005, ranked #545, up from #547 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Bridgeton and Largs Central and Cumbrae.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blair is 12,029 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.5%.

1881 census count

7,768

Ranked #547

Modern count

12,005

2016, ranked #545

Peak year

2010

12,029 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blair had 7,768 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #547 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,005 in 2016, ranked #545.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,107 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Blair surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blair surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blair 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 5,451 #506
1861 historical 5,770 #472
1881 historical 7,768 #547
1891 historical 8,105 #542
1901 historical 9,107 #577
1911 historical 3,473 #1,504
1997 modern 11,039 #555
1998 modern 11,356 #563
1999 modern 11,426 #566
2000 modern 11,403 #559
2001 modern 11,151 #560
2002 modern 11,429 #558
2003 modern 11,170 #556
2004 modern 11,145 #557
2005 modern 11,156 #550
2006 modern 11,225 #549
2007 modern 11,382 #548
2008 modern 11,504 #544
2009 modern 11,762 #546
2010 modern 12,029 #551
2011 modern 11,818 #555
2012 modern 11,551 #557
2013 modern 11,798 #557
2014 modern 11,984 #553
2015 modern 11,958 #548
2016 modern 12,005 #545

Geography

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Where Blairs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Bridgeton, Largs Central and Cumbrae, Knapdale and Paisley Central. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
2 Bridgeton Glasgow City
3 Largs Central and Cumbrae North Ayrshire
4 Knapdale Argyll and Bute
5 Paisley Central Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blair

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blair

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Blair, 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 Blair surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Blair 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, Blair 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

Blair 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

Blair 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 Blair 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Blair

The surname Blair is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "blar" meaning "field" or "plain." It is thought to have originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a field or plain.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century, with mentions in various Scottish charters and records. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Blair, who was granted lands in Ayrshire, Scotland, in the late 12th century.

The Blair family played a significant role in Scottish history, with several members holding prominent positions. One of the most notable figures was Sir James Blair, who served as a Scottish knight and fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was Reverend James Blair, who was born in Scotland in 1655 and later became the founder and first president of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, USA. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the college, which is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in America.

The name Blair has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Blair Atholl, Blair Drummond, and Blair Gowrie. These place names are derived from the Gaelic word "blar" and reflect the connection between the surname and the geographical features of the areas where the name originated.

Other notable individuals with the surname Blair include:

1. Eric Blair (1903-1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, the renowned English novelist and essayist who wrote classics such as "Animal Farm" and "Nineteen Eighty-Four."

2. Tony Blair (born 1953), a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007.

3. Cherie Blair (born 1954), a British barrister and wife of Tony Blair.

4. Dennis Rodman Blair (born 1947), an American former Navy admiral and former Director of National Intelligence.

5. Mary Gilmore Rendlesham Blair (1911-1978), an American artist and illustrator best known for her children's book illustrations, including for the "Lionni" series.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blair families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blair 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 1,453 Blairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.93x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,453 5.93x
Renfrewshire 796 13.56x
Midlothian 534 5.26x
Lancashire 479 0.53x
Ayrshire 476 8.40x
Angus 363 5.17x
Durham 340 1.51x
Northumberland 286 2.54x
Perthshire 226 6.65x
Fife 217 4.84x
Middlesex 217 0.29x
Stirlingshire 217 7.77x
Argyllshire 213 10.10x
Cumberland 192 2.94x
Dunbartonshire 181 8.89x
Yorkshire 162 0.22x
East Lothian 135 13.46x
Clackmannanshire 115 18.39x
West Lothian 91 7.98x
Aberdeenshire 81 1.15x
Surrey 81 0.22x
Cheshire 74 0.44x
Berwickshire 70 7.63x
Kent 64 0.25x
Buteshire 51 11.12x
Kirkcudbrightshire 47 4.29x
Staffordshire 40 0.16x
Wigtownshire 37 3.68x
Gloucestershire 36 0.24x
Lincolnshire 33 0.27x
Essex 31 0.21x
Roxburghshire 31 2.26x
Inverness-shire 27 1.19x
Kincardineshire 27 2.93x
Derbyshire 26 0.22x
Dumfriesshire 24 1.43x
Westmorland 24 1.44x
Leicestershire 21 0.25x
Devon 20 0.13x
Isle of Man 19 1.35x
Sussex 19 0.15x
Hampshire 18 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.17x
Wiltshire 17 0.25x
Worcestershire 16 0.16x
Selkirkshire 12 1.75x
Monmouthshire 10 0.18x
Royal Navy 10 1.11x
Suffolk 10 0.11x
Warwickshire 10 0.05x
Banffshire 9 0.57x
Kinross-shire 6 3.13x
Hertfordshire 5 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.13x
Cornwall 4 0.05x
Morayshire 4 0.34x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.17x
Norfolk 3 0.03x
Ross-shire 3 0.14x
Somerset 3 0.02x
Anglesey 2 0.15x
Bedfordshire 2 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.04x
Dorset 2 0.04x
Glamorgan 2 0.02x
Rutland 2 0.36x
Shetland 2 0.26x
Brecknockshire 1 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.04x
Flintshire 1 0.05x
Herefordshire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.02x

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 475 Blairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.84x.

Place Total Index
Govan 475 7.84x
Barony 449 7.24x
Glasgow 258 5.93x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 219 5.37x
West Greenock 219 20.79x
Dundee 163 6.22x
Dunfermline 94 13.64x
Paisley High Church 90 19.26x
East Greenock 83 14.98x
Clackmannan 67 56.68x
Abbey 66 7.37x
South Leith 57 4.99x
Dalry 55 20.62x
Bothwell 52 7.83x
New Monkland 51 7.04x
Eastwood 50 13.83x
Neilston 48 16.29x
Everton 47 1.64x
Liverpool 46 0.84x
Largs 42 31.46x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 40 3.05x
Denny 40 26.93x
Manchester 40 0.99x
Campbeltown 39 15.34x
Girvan 37 26.01x
Kirkintilloch 36 13.02x
St Vigeans 35 9.24x
Cowpen 34 13.10x
Ardrossan 33 16.82x
Newcastle On Tyne St 33 5.65x
Dunbar 32 22.75x
Kilmarnock 32 4.74x
Old Monkland 32 3.29x
Allendale 31 29.67x
Gateshead 31 1.84x
Tillicoultry 31 22.28x
Cathcart 30 9.45x
Kilmalcolm 30 42.66x
Lambeth 30 0.45x
Paisley Middle Church 30 8.78x
Rothesay 30 13.50x
Kilbarchan 29 16.27x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 29 4.31x
Renfrew 29 14.96x
West Derby 29 1.10x
Cardross 28 11.46x
Lasswade 28 12.07x
Salford 28 1.06x
Slamannan 28 18.31x
Westoe 28 2.19x
Aberdeen Old Machar 27 1.84x
Haddington 26 17.56x
Killearn 26 88.62x
Kirkdale 26 1.72x
Liff Benvie 26 2.44x
Penicuik 26 18.86x
Toxteth Park 26 0.85x
Edinburgh St Stephens 25 12.52x
Kilcalmonell 25 52.39x
Stirling 25 7.10x
Dumbarton 24 8.47x
Irvine 24 15.25x
Byker 23 4.13x
Chorlton On Medlock 23 1.61x
Glassary 23 20.25x
Hulme 23 1.23x
Kilfinan 23 40.89x
Kilwinning 23 12.57x
Maryhill 23 4.80x
St Andrews 23 11.28x
St Cuthbert Within 23 30.45x
Auckinleck 22 12.54x
Ladykirk 22 193.83x
Lochwinnoch 22 25.15x
Perth West Church 22 13.64x
St George Hanover Square 22 1.65x
Tynemouth 22 3.65x
Dundonald 21 10.05x
Gladsmuir 21 46.96x
Perth East Church 21 6.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 172
Elizabeth 92
Jane 82
Margaret 78
Sarah 60
Ann 43
Annie 33
Isabella 28
Emma 25
Agnes 24
Eliza 21
Ellen 21
Alice 18
Hannah 18
Catherine 17
Louisa 17
Frances 15
Martha 15
Charlotte 14
Edith 14
Emily 13
Harriet 12
Maria 12
Jessie 11
Anne 10
Caroline 10
Eleanor 10
Florence 9
Esther 8
Lucy 8
Elizth. 7
Kate 7
Ethel 6
Fanny 6
Harriett 6
Helen 6
Rachel 6
Ada 5
Christina 5
Grace 5
Julia 5
Margt. 5
Matilda 5
Selina 5
Amelia 4
Anna 4
Betsy 4
Janet 4
Maggie 4
Marion 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 151
William 147
James 101
Thomas 96
Robert 81
George 70
Joseph 34
Henry 30
Charles 25
Edward 22
Alexander 20
David 20
Richard 18
Peter 17
Samuel 16
Andrew 15
Walter 12
Archibald 9
Matthew 9
Hugh 8
Robt. 8
Wm. 7
Daniel 6
Ernest 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Frederick 5
Jonathan 5
Thos. 5
Edwin 4
Herbert 4
Jas. 4
Jno. 4
Adam 3
Amos 3
Anthony 3
Bryce 3
Geo. 3
Harrison 3
Stephen 3
Vernon 3
Claude 2
Douglas 2
Joshua 2
Mac 2
P. 2
Ridley 2
Robson 2

FAQ

Blair surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blair surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,768 people were recorded with the Blair surname. That placed it at #547 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blair surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,005 in 2016. That gives Blair a modern rank of #545.

What does the Blair surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from Gaelic blár, meaning "field, plain, or battlefield."

What does the Blair map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Blair 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.