NameCensus.

UK surname

Mairs

A Scottish surname potentially derived from old French meaning "mayor" or "dignitary".

In the 1881 census there were 106 people recorded with the Mairs surname, ranking it #19,083 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 571, ranked #9,030, up from #19,083 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone, Manchester and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Warrington and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mairs is 582 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 438.7%.

1881 census count

106

Ranked #19,083

Modern count

571

2016, ranked #9,030

Peak year

2010

582 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mairs had 106 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,083 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 571 in 2016, ranked #9,030.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mairs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mairs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mairs 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 73 #20,581
1861 historical 86 #22,810
1881 historical 106 #19,083
1891 historical 133 #19,870
1901 historical 188 #15,742
1911 historical 162 #17,003
1997 modern 496 #9,352
1998 modern 523 #9,276
1999 modern 526 #9,295
2000 modern 525 #9,284
2001 modern 495 #9,544
2002 modern 526 #9,300
2003 modern 492 #9,598
2004 modern 508 #9,404
2005 modern 517 #9,217
2006 modern 534 #9,026
2007 modern 538 #9,044
2008 modern 537 #9,126
2009 modern 562 #9,013
2010 modern 582 #8,978
2011 modern 566 #9,070
2012 modern 563 #9,023
2013 modern 578 #8,981
2014 modern 573 #9,089
2015 modern 566 #9,096
2016 modern 571 #9,030

Geography

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Where Mairs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone, Manchester, Glasgow, Paisley Abbey and Warrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Warrington, Knowsley and High Peak. 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 St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone Devon
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Paisley Abbey Renfrew
5 Warrington Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 047 Bradford
2 Warrington 006 Warrington
3 Knowsley 020 Knowsley
4 Warrington 008 Warrington
5 High Peak 010 High Peak

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mairs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mairs

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mairs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mairs household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mairs 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

Mairs is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mairs 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 Mairs 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 Mairs, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mairs

The surname Mairs is believed to have originated in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "mair," which means "officer" or "steward." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have held positions of authority or worked as stewards or overseers for landowners or nobility.

The name Mairs is closely associated with the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the counties of Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. Some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in historical records from this area, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented homages rendered to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Mairs was John Mairs, who served as the Sheriff of Roxburghshire during the reign of King David II of Scotland. Records from this period also mention a William Mairs, who was a landowner in the town of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders.

The spelling of the name has evolved over time, with variations such as Mair, Maire, and Mayer appearing in historical documents. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and differences in pronunciation across Scotland.

During the 16th century, the Mairs surname gained prominence in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. One notable individual from this period was Robert Mairs, a Scottish clergyman and poet who lived from around 1550 to 1612. He is best known for his satirical poems and critiques of the Scottish Kirk (church).

In the 17th century, the Mairs family expanded their presence in Scotland, with branches settling in various regions, including the Highlands and Islands. A notable figure from this era was Alexander Mairs, who served as the Bishop of Caithness from 1638 to 1653, during the tumultuous period of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

As the centuries progressed, members of the Mairs family continued to contribute to various fields, including academia, law, and politics. One notable example is Alexander Mairs, a Scottish lawyer and judge who lived from 1817 to 1888. He served as a Lord of Session in the Scottish judiciary and was known for his expertise in commercial law.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mairs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mairs 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. Cheshire leads with 29 Mairs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.08x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 29 13.08x
Lanarkshire 29 8.93x
Devon 15 7.17x
Lancashire 12 1.01x
Renfrewshire 10 12.84x
Northumberland 2 1.34x
Hampshire 1 0.49x
Middlesex 1 0.10x
Midlothian 1 0.74x
Norfolk 1 0.65x
Sussex 1 0.59x
Yorkshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lymm in Cheshire leads with 22 Mairs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1366.46x.

Place Total Index
Lymm 22 1366.46x
Barony 17 20.67x
Paisley Middle Church 9 198.68x
Plymouth Charles The 9 97.72x
New Monkland 8 83.33x
Hulme 7 28.12x
Latchford 5 340.14x
Woodland 5 10000.00x
Glasgow 2 3.47x
Govan 2 2.49x
Heaton 2 400.00x
Toxteth Park 2 4.95x
Bedford 1 40.16x
Birkenhead 1 5.66x
Brighton 1 2.93x
Cathcart 1 23.75x
Clifton In York 1 48.08x
Devonport 1 41.67x
Everton 1 2.63x
Great Yarmouth 1 7.81x
Hurstbourne Priors 1 714.29x
Islington London 1 1.03x
Liscard 1 25.00x
South Leith 1 6.60x
Warrington 1 7.08x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Mairs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mairs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 106 people were recorded with the Mairs surname. That placed it at #19,083 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mairs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 571 in 2016. That gives Mairs a modern rank of #9,030.

What does the Mairs surname mean?

A Scottish surname potentially derived from old French meaning "mayor" or "dignitary".

What does the Mairs map show?

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