NameCensus.

UK surname

Blairs

In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Blairs surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 93, ranked #31,945, down from #28,011 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blairs is 110 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 132.5%.

1881 census count

40

Ranked #28,011

Modern count

93

2016, ranked #31,945

Peak year

2000

110 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2006

Key insights

  • Blairs had 40 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,011 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 93 in 2016, ranked #31,945.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 67 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Blairs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blairs surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blairs 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 18 #30,094
1861 historical 33 #29,814
1881 historical 40 #28,011
1891 historical 40 #31,174
1901 historical 63 #27,134
1911 historical 67 #26,152
1997 modern 43 #33,361
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 106 #27,045
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 99 #30,934
2014 modern 97 #31,518
2015 modern 94 #31,872
2016 modern 93 #31,945

Geography

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Where Blairs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 007 Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 Newcastle-under-Lyme 006 Newcastle-under-Lyme
3 Stafford 002 Stafford
4 Stoke-on-Trent 001 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blairs

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blairs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Blairs, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Blairs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Blairs household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Blairs is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Blairs is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blairs falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blairs is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Blairs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blairs 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. Staffordshire leads with 18 Blairs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.67x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 18 13.67x
Lancashire 15 3.24x
Fife 6 25.99x
Suffolk 1 2.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolstanton Chesterton in Staffordshire leads with 17 Blairs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2537.31x.

Place Total Index
Wolstanton Chesterton 17 2537.31x
Halliwell 7 416.67x
Dunfermline 6 169.01x
Bradford 3 138.25x
Kearsley 3 309.28x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 78.74x
Salford 1 7.35x
Stretford 1 39.22x
Wolstanton Chatterly 1 714.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Martha 3
Ann 1
Elizabeth 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Phebe 1
Sarah 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
James 4
John 4
Benjamin 1
David 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
T. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Blairs households.

FAQ

Blairs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blairs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Blairs surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blairs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 93 in 2016. That gives Blairs a modern rank of #31,945.

What does the Blairs map show?

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