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

Bellair, 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 Bellair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bellair in America

Bellair is the 101247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bellair surname appeared 178 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 Bellair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bellair 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 Bellair

The surname Bellair is of French origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French words "bel" meaning "beautiful" and "air" meaning "air" or "atmosphere." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a particularly picturesque or desirable location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry "Willelmus de Bellair" suggests that the name had already been established in Normandy and was brought to England by Norman settlers after the conquest.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as "Bellair," "Bellaire," and "Beller" in records from the county of Essex in England. The variations likely stemmed from local dialects and the phonetic spelling of the name.

One notable individual bearing the name was Sir John Bellair (c. 1320-1387), a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was granted lands in Gloucestershire for his service to King Edward III.

Another early example is Margery Bellair (c. 1450-1520), an English landowner and benefactor who endowed a chantry chapel in the village of Buckland, Hertfordshire.

During the 16th century, the surname spread to other parts of Europe, including the Low Countries. Pieter Bellair (1560-1630), a Dutch merchant and diplomat, served as the ambassador to the court of King James I of England.

In the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Bellair (1720-1792) was a French painter and engraver known for his landscapes and architectural scenes. His works were highly sought after by the nobility and are now housed in prestigious museums across Europe.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Bellair (1765-1844), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted for his bravery and rose to the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bellair

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

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

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

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