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

Bair, 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 Bair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bair in America

Bair is the 3052nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bair surname appeared 11,740 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Bair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bair 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 Bair

The surname BAIR is believed to have originated in Germany and is thought to be derived from the German word "bär," meaning "bear." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a bear-like appearance or behavior.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BAIR can be found in the German town of Baiersbronn, located in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. The town's name, which dates back to the 12th century, is thought to be derived from the same root as the surname BAIR.

In the 16th century, the name BAIR appears in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a prominent family of that name resided. Johann Bair (1522-1597), a renowned goldsmith and engraver, was a member of this family and is considered one of the most skilled practitioners of his craft during the Renaissance period.

Another notable individual with the surname BAIR was Johann Philipp Bair (1655-1719), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. His works on ethics and natural law were influential in the development of modern moral philosophy.

In the 19th century, the BAIR surname made its way to the United States, primarily through German immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of John Bair (1812-1898), a farmer and landowner in Pennsylvania who played a role in the Underground Railroad, helping to shelter and transport escaped enslaved people.

Another prominent American with the surname BAIR was Loy Bair (1855-1924), a businessman and banker from Ohio. He co-founded the Bair Banking Company, which later became part of the Chase Manhattan Bank.

It's worth noting that the surname BAIR has also been found in other regions, such as Switzerland and Austria, where it may have originated from different roots or undergone slight variations in spelling, such as Bayr or Bayer.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bair

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

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 Bair 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 Bair 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 Bair was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!