Find out how popular the last name Abair is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Abair.

Abair, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Abair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abair in America

Abair is the 40432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abair surname appeared 541 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Abair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Abair to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Abair

The surname ABAIR is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "abhair," which means "to speak" or "to say." It is believed to have emerged in the Highlands region of Scotland during the 12th or 13th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval Scottish documents, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded homages rendered to King Edward I of England. One such mention is of Adam Abar, a Scottish landowner from Aberdeenshire.

In the 15th century, the ABAIR name was prevalent in the Highlands, particularly in the counties of Inverness, Ross, and Cromarty. It is likely that the name was originally an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a messenger, herald, or speaker.

The ABAIR name has also been associated with the place name "Abair" or "Abyre," which is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "abh" (water) and "ire" (land), referring to a land near a river or stream. This connection suggests that some ABAIR families may have taken their surname from the place where they resided.

Notable individuals with the surname ABAIR throughout history include:

1. John Abair (c. 1550-1620), a Scottish clergyman and scholar who served as the Principal of King's College, Aberdeen.
2. Robert Abair (1699-1781), a Scottish merchant and landowner from Inverness-shire, known for his extensive business dealings and philanthropic endeavors.
3. Margaret Abair (1815-1892), a Scottish poet and writer from Ross-shire, whose works celebrated the landscapes and traditions of the Highlands.
4. William Abair (1867-1944), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.
5. Iain Abair (1920-1998), a renowned Scottish Gaelic scholar and author, who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Gaelic language and culture.

While the ABAIR name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references firmly establish the name's Scottish Highlands origin and its connection to the Gaelic language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abair

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Abair.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Abair was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Abair has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Abair was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Abair, please contact us.

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