NameCensus.

UK surname

Dair

A surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic word meaning "meadow" or "valley".

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Dair surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cowdenbeath North, Oakley Comrie and Blairhall and Stockport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dair is 169 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 124.1%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

1891

169 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dair had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 169 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dair surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dair surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dair 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 149 #18,146
1911 historical 53 #27,508
1997 modern 107 #25,924
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 122 #24,698
2001 modern 124 #24,114
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 123 #24,873
2007 modern 121 #25,469
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 123 #26,561
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

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Where Dairs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, St John Hackney and St John Hampstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cowdenbeath North, Oakley Comrie and Blairhall, Stockport, Cowdenbeath South and Crossgates and Halbeath. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 St John Hampstead London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cowdenbeath North Fife
2 Oakley Comrie and Blairhall Fife
3 Stockport 007 Stockport
4 Cowdenbeath South Fife
5 Crossgates and Halbeath Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dair

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dair

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dair is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dair is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dair falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dair 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 Dair, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dair

The surname DAIR is believed to have originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is likely derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dair," meaning "oak" or "oak tree," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a notable oak tree or oak grove.

One of the earliest documented bearers of the surname DAIR was John Dair, who was recorded in the Sasine Registers of Fife in 1592. The name also appeared in various parish records throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, with spellings such as Dair, Daire, and Deir.

In the 19th century, the DAIR surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire in northeastern Scotland. Notable individuals from this period include James Dair (1799-1873), a Scottish minister and author who served as the minister of Greyfriars Parish in Aberdeen.

As the DAIR surname spread across Scotland and beyond, it became associated with various place names, such as Dairsie in Fife and Dairie in Ayrshire. The name Dairsie is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic phrase "dair suidhe," meaning "oak seat" or "oak dwelling."

Among the notable bearers of the DAIR surname in more recent history are:

1. John Dair (1805-1884), a Scottish landscape painter known for his depictions of Scottish landscapes and coastal scenes. 2. Robert Dair (1856-1928), a Scottish engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to the design of steam engines. 3. Alastair Dair (1915-1997), a Scottish novelist and poet whose works explored themes of identity, belonging, and the natural world. 4. Elizabeth Dair (1928-2008), a Scottish academic and professor of English literature at the University of Edinburgh. 5. Iain Dair (born 1962), a Scottish journalist and author who has written extensively on Scottish history and culture.

While the DAIR surname may have originated from a modest reference to an oak tree or grove, it has since become woven into the fabric of Scottish history and culture, with bearers of the name leaving their mark across various fields and disciplines.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dair families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dair 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. Angus leads with 30 Dairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.31x.

County Total Index
Angus 30 59.31x
Middlesex 6 1.10x
Sussex 6 6.52x
East Lothian 4 55.33x
Dumfriesshire 2 16.58x
Isle of Man 2 19.72x
Kincardineshire 2 30.08x
Cornwall 1 1.62x
Cumberland 1 2.13x
Fife 1 3.09x
Kent 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 24 Dairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 127.12x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 24 127.12x
Dunbar 4 396.04x
Hackney London 4 13.07x
Horsham 3 167.60x
Kirriemuir 3 240.00x
Dumfries 2 168.07x
Heathfield 2 540.54x
Logie Pert 2 1052.63x
Onchan 2 68.49x
Anstruther Wester 1 769.23x
Eastbourne 1 23.58x
Fettercairn 1 357.14x
Folkestone 1 27.70x
Glamis 1 322.58x
Mylor 1 243.90x
Nether Denton 1 1666.67x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 89.29x
St Cyrus 1 357.14x
St Mary Magdalen Old Fish 1 5000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Beatrice 1
Emma 1
Ester 1
Louisa 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Arthur 2
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Wm. 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 Dair households.

FAQ

Dair surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dair surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Dair surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dair surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Dair a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Dair surname mean?

A surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic word meaning "meadow" or "valley".

What does the Dair map show?

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