NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcnair

A Scottish occupational surname referring to a carpenter or wood craftsman.

In the 1881 census there were 1,805 people recorded with the Mcnair surname, ranking it #2,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,970, ranked #3,268, down from #2,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Milnwood, Earlston and Hurlford Rural and Shortlees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcnair is 2,062 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.1%.

1881 census count

1,805

Ranked #2,412

Modern count

1,970

2016, ranked #3,268

Peak year

1901

2,062 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcnair had 1,805 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,970 in 2016, ranked #3,268.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,062 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mcnair surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcnair surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcnair 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 1,277 #2,237
1861 historical 1,291 #2,207
1881 historical 1,805 #2,412
1891 historical 1,776 #2,570
1901 historical 2,062 #2,597
1911 historical 407 #9,176
1997 modern 1,803 #3,327
1998 modern 1,882 #3,328
1999 modern 1,904 #3,314
2000 modern 1,908 #3,291
2001 modern 1,884 #3,258
2002 modern 1,913 #3,295
2003 modern 1,838 #3,336
2004 modern 1,857 #3,304
2005 modern 1,841 #3,296
2006 modern 1,853 #3,295
2007 modern 1,873 #3,292
2008 modern 1,889 #3,293
2009 modern 1,910 #3,327
2010 modern 1,926 #3,378
2011 modern 1,918 #3,350
2012 modern 1,884 #3,351
2013 modern 1,904 #3,376
2014 modern 1,945 #3,333
2015 modern 1,943 #3,307
2016 modern 1,970 #3,268

Geography

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Where Mcnairs are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Milnwood, Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Shortlees, Cupar West and Springfield and Petershill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Milnwood North Lanarkshire
2 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire
3 Shortlees East Ayrshire
4 Cupar West and Springfield Fife
5 Petershill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcnair

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcnair

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mcnair surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mcnair household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mcnair is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcnair 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

Mcnair 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 Mcnair is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcnair

The surname McNair is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "Mac" meaning "son of" and "Naomhair" meaning "the modest one" or "the holy one". This name likely originated in the Highlands region of Scotland in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be "MacNair" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls recorded during the Scottish Wars of Independence. This suggests that the name was already established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John McNair, who was a tenant farmer in the parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, in the mid-15th century. Another early record is of Robert McNair, who was a witness to a deed in Glasgow in 1488.

The McNair surname is also associated with several notable historical figures. One such figure was Sir Robert McNair (1775-1856), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1832 to 1837.

Another notable McNair was John McNair (1854-1933), a Scottish-born American Presbyterian minister and educator who served as the fourth president of the College of Idaho from 1899 to 1907.

In the field of literature, one can mention William Watts McNair (1849-1939), an American writer and editor who was the author of several books, including "The Portent: A Story of the Inner Vision of the Highlanders" (1891).

Additionally, the McNair surname has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McNair's Hill in Renfrewshire and McNair's Knowe in Ayrshire, further reinforcing its Scottish roots.

Throughout history, the McNair surname has also been spelled in various ways, such as McNayr, MacNair, and McNeyr, reflecting regional variations and the evolution of spelling conventions over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcnair families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcnair 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. Middlesex leads with 15 Mcnairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.26x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 15 2.26x
Surrey 11 3.40x
Lancashire 7 0.89x
Westmorland 6 41.18x
Cheshire 5 3.42x
Devon 5 3.62x
Staffordshire 5 2.23x
Denbighshire 4 15.97x
Dunbartonshire 3 16.84x
Cumberland 2 3.50x
Durham 2 1.01x
Kent 1 0.44x
Midlothian 1 1.13x
Northumberland 1 1.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 7 Mcnairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.91x.

Place Total Index
Everton 7 27.91x
Hampstead London 7 67.76x
Kingston On Thames 7 90.21x
Over Staveley 6 3529.41x
Birkenhead 5 42.84x
Castle Church 5 370.37x
Exeter St Mary Steps 5 1612.90x
Llangerniew 4 2500.00x
Cardross 3 140.19x
Croydon 3 16.72x
Shoreditch London 3 10.43x
St Marylebone London 2 5.65x
Stockton On Tees 2 21.03x
Whitehaven 2 65.79x
Deptford St Paul 1 5.73x
Fulham London 1 10.40x
Kirknewton 1 384.62x
Paddington London 1 4.10x
St George Hanover 1 11.55x
Tynemouth 1 18.94x
Wimbledon 1 27.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Janet 3
Christina 2
Jane 2
Agnes 1
Alexa 1
Alice 1
Alma 1
Ann 1
Emily 1
Harriet 1
Isabel 1
Josephine 1
Katherine 1
Lilias 1
Louisa 1
Maggie 1
Natalie 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mcnair surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcnair surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,805 people were recorded with the Mcnair surname. That placed it at #2,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcnair surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,970 in 2016. That gives Mcnair a modern rank of #3,268.

What does the Mcnair surname mean?

A Scottish occupational surname referring to a carpenter or wood craftsman.

What does the Mcnair map show?

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