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

Fairbairn, 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 Fairbairn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fairbairn in America

Fairbairn is the 20274th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fairbairn surname appeared 1,312 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 Fairbairn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fairbairn 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 Fairbairn

The surname Fairbairn originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "faegr" meaning fair or handsome, and "bearn" meaning child or son. The name was initially used as a descriptive term for a fair-haired or attractive child.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The rolls mention a "John Fairbairn" from Berwickshire, Scotland.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1359, which reference a "William Fayrbarne" from Lanarkshire.

The Fairbairn surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Andrew Fairbairn (c. 1530-1593), a Scottish naval commander who served under Mary, Queen of Scots.

Another prominent figure was Sir William Fairbairn (1789-1874), a Scottish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of industrial machinery and shipbuilding. He is credited with designing the first successful riveted iron bridge, the Fairbairn Crane, and improving the design of water wheels.

In the literary world, Andrew Martin Fairbairn (1838-1912) was a Scottish theologian and scholar who served as the principal of the Free Church College in Glasgow. He was known for his works on the life of Christ and the interpretation of the Bible.

Thomas Fairbairn (1612-1674) was a Scottish theologian and author who served as the principal of the University of Glasgow. He wrote several influential works on theology and was a prominent figure in the Church of Scotland.

More recently, Geoffrey Fairbairn (1927-2020) was a British actor best known for his roles in films and television series such as "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "Fawlty Towers."

While the Fairbairn surname is most commonly associated with Scotland, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, likely due to migration and the spread of Scottish families over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fairbairn

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

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

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

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