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

Gair, 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 Gair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gair in America

Gair is the 43651st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gair surname appeared 494 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 Gair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gair 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 Gair

The surname Gair originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "gair", which means "loud cry" or "shout". This suggests that the name may have been given to someone with a loud or distinctive voice.

The earliest known record of the Gair name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls documenting those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is spelled "Gaire" in these records.

In the 14th century, the Gair surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were financial records maintained by the Scottish government. This indicates that the name was well-established in Scotland by this time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Gair surname was John Gair, who was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in the late 15th century. He was a notable landowner and merchant in the region.

In the 16th century, the Gair surname can be found in the Diocesan Registers of Glasgow, which were records kept by the Diocese of Glasgow. This suggests that the name was present in the Glasgow area during this period.

A notable figure with the Gair surname was Robert Gair, who was born in Edinburgh in 1679. He was a renowned scholar and theologian, and served as the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1715 until his death in 1737.

Another prominent individual with the Gair surname was James Gair, who was born in Aberdeenshire in 1785. He was a renowned explorer and adventurer, known for his expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 19th century.

In the 18th century, the Gair surname can be found in various parish records throughout Scotland, indicating its widespread presence across the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gair surname in the United States was in the 1790 census, where a family with the name is listed as residing in Pennsylvania.

Overall, the surname Gair has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with its origins dating back to the 12th century and its meaning linked to a distinctive or loud voice.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gair

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

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

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

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