NameCensus.

UK surname

Phair

A surname derived from the Gaelic name Phayre, originating from County Clare, Ireland.

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Phair surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 323, ranked #13,997, up from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glossop, Darlington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Vicarland and Cairns, Ipswich and Torrance and Balmore.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Phair is 338 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 132.4%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

323

2016, ranked #13,997

Peak year

2010

338 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Phair had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016, ranked #13,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 182 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Phair surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Phair surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Phair 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 94 #17,837
1861 historical 75 #24,238
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 182 #16,057
1911 historical 159 #17,219
1997 modern 299 #13,563
1998 modern 294 #14,060
1999 modern 305 #13,808
2000 modern 315 #13,495
2001 modern 304 #13,619
2002 modern 320 #13,414
2003 modern 330 #12,971
2004 modern 316 #13,425
2005 modern 309 #13,552
2006 modern 306 #13,724
2007 modern 315 #13,593
2008 modern 317 #13,632
2009 modern 331 #13,483
2010 modern 338 #13,550
2011 modern 321 #13,940
2012 modern 312 #14,131
2013 modern 323 #14,003
2014 modern 319 #14,216
2015 modern 318 #14,155
2016 modern 323 #13,997

Geography

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Where Phairs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glossop, Darlington, London parishes, Manchester and St John Westminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Vicarland and Cairns, Ipswich, Torrance and Balmore, Three Rivers and Erewash. 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 Glossop Derbyshire
2 Darlington Durham
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St John Westminster London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Vicarland and Cairns South Lanarkshire
2 Ipswich 010 Ipswich
3 Torrance and Balmore East Dunbartonshire
4 Three Rivers 001 Three Rivers
5 Erewash 007 Erewash

Forenames

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First names often paired with Phair

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Phair

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Phair, 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 Phair surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Phair 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Phair is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Phair is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Phair falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Phair

The surname Phair has its origins in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fær," which means "journey" or "passage." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone who frequently traveled or was a traveler.

The earliest known record of the surname Phair dates back to the late 12th century. It appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named William Fere is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Fere," is thought to be one of the earliest forms of the modern surname Phair.

In the 13th century, the surname Phair can be found in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Robert le Fere. The prefix "le" in this spelling indicates that the name was used as a descriptive term at the time.

During the medieval period, the name Phair was also associated with certain place names in England. For instance, there was a hamlet called Fere in Buckinghamshire, which may have contributed to the surname's development.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Phair was John Phair, born in 1510 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a renowned scholar and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the surname Phair was Robert Phair, born in 1625 in Somerset, England. He was a successful merchant and was involved in the East India Company's trade with the Indian subcontinent.

Another noteworthy individual was Elizabeth Phair, born in 1745 in Wiltshire, England. She was a renowned poet and playwright, known for her works that explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

In the 19th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname Phair was George Phair, born in 1820 in Yorkshire, England. He was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings, including St. Michael's Church in Leeds and the Town Hall in Bradford.

The surname Phair also has a presence in Scotland, where it is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "faire," meaning "to watch" or "to guard." One notable Scottish individual with the surname Phair was William Phair, born in 1780 in Aberdeenshire. He was a celebrated poet and played a significant role in preserving and promoting Scottish literature and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Phair families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Phair 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 27 Phairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.98x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 1.98x
Lancashire 24 1.48x
Devon 18 6.33x
Derbyshire 9 4.21x
Hampshire 9 3.22x
West Lothian 9 43.77x
Warwickshire 7 2.03x
Lanarkshire 6 1.36x
Essex 5 1.86x
Wigtownshire 5 27.58x
Gloucestershire 4 1.49x
Herefordshire 4 7.14x
Kent 4 0.86x
Surrey 3 0.45x
Yorkshire 2 0.15x
Durham 1 0.25x
Inverness-shire 1 2.45x
Midlothian 1 0.55x
Royal Navy 1 6.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westminster St John in Middlesex leads with 11 Phairs recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.15x.

Place Total Index
Westminster St John 11 66.15x
Whitburn 9 303.03x
Glossop Dale 8 79.92x
Aston 7 7.38x
Everton 7 13.56x
East Teignmouth 6 517.24x
Fareham 6 178.57x
Shoreditch London 6 10.14x
Broughton In Salford 5 33.74x
Exeter St Sidwell 5 76.80x
Halliwell 5 84.75x
Parr 5 86.21x
Sampford Courtenay 5 1190.48x
Stranraer 5 301.20x
West Ham 5 8.40x
Ballingham 4 2000.00x
Bow London 4 23.02x
Bristol St Paul In 4 56.10x
Greenwich 4 18.40x
Hackney London 3 3.92x
Witley 3 638.30x
New Alresford 2 273.97x
New Monkland 2 15.33x
Old Monkland 2 11.42x
Rutherglen 2 30.86x
Stowford 2 1111.11x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.69x
Buxton 1 55.25x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.10x
Clifton In York 1 35.34x
Coundon 1 60.61x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.36x
Inverness 1 9.75x
Little Bolton 1 4.80x
Portsmouth 1 15.53x
Royal Navy 1 7.19x
Salford 1 2.10x
St George Bloomsbury 1 12.77x
Thornaby 1 19.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 9
James 4
Thomas 4
Charles 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Michael 2
Albert 1
Danl. 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Elliott 1
G. 1
Harry 1
Israel 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
M. 1
Matthaw 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Phair surname: questions and answers

How common was the Phair surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Phair surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Phair surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016. That gives Phair a modern rank of #13,997.

What does the Phair surname mean?

A surname derived from the Gaelic name Phayre, originating from County Clare, Ireland.

What does the Phair map show?

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