2000
#11,722
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,450
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Mair
Derived from the Scottish and northern English topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,715 Americans carry the last name Mair. That puts it at #12,500 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mair surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mair with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,245
Census rank
#12,500
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,368 bearers of the surname Mair in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12500th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mair, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mair
The surname Mair originated in Scotland, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "mair," which means "mayor" or "chief official." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who held a position of authority within their community or clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mair surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after the Scottish Wars of Independence. Among the names listed is Thome Mair, a resident of Berwickshire.
During the 16th century, the Mair name gained prominence in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the town of Kelso. Historical records from this era mention notable individuals such as John Mair (1469-1550), a Scottish philosopher and historian who studied and taught at the University of Paris, and Alexander Mair (c. 1510-1585), a Scottish clergyman and writer.
In the 17th century, the spelling of the name evolved to include variations like Mayer and Mayor, possibly due to its association with the term "mayor." One prominent figure from this time was John Mair (1597-1668), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who served as a chaplain in the Scottish Army during the English Civil War.
As the Mair family spread across Scotland and beyond, the name appeared in various regions and historical accounts. In the 18th century, William Mair (1718-1783), a Scottish painter and engraver, gained recognition for his works depicting landscapes and scenes from Scottish life.
Throughout the 19th century, the Mair surname was well-established in Scottish communities, and several individuals made notable contributions. Robert Mair (1803-1886) was a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord President of the Court of Session, the highest civil court in Scotland. Another prominent figure was John Mair (1824-1904), a Scottish mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of optics and dynamics.
It is worth noting that the Mair surname has also been associated with place names in Scotland, such as Mairfield and Mairholme, which may have influenced the evolution and distribution of the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mair
Among Census respondents with the surname Mair, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mair bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mair surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.2% · 1,638
- Black or African American18.2% · 430
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 118
- Two or more races4.6% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mair
Mair appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,516
+66 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 635 places
2020
#12,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,368
-148 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 143 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,722 | 2,450 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,357 | 2,516 | 0.85 | +66 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 635 places |
| 2020 | #12,500 | 2,368 | 0.79 | -148 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 143 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mair surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,357 | #12,500 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,516 | 2,368 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.79 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mair bearers went from 2,516 to 2,368 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 143 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,357 to #12,500.
FAQ
Mair surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mair?
Name Census estimates that about 2,715 living Americans carry the surname Mair. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,245 residents.
How common is Mair?
Mair ranks #12,500 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,368 people with the surname Mair. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,715), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mair.
Has Mair become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mair went from 2,516 recorded bearers to 2,368. That is a decrease of 148 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,357 to #12,500.
What does the Census say about the background of Mair?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mair, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mair in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.2% (1,638 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mair appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.2%), Black (18.2%), Hispanic (5.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mair (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mair mean?
Derived from the Scottish and northern English topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mair (0.79 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Mair?
Find out how many people have the surname Mair on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.