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

Pair, 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 Pair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pair in America

Pair is the 14050th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pair surname appeared 2,143 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pair 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 Pair

The surname PAIR is of French origin and is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "per," meaning "equal" or "peer." The name likely referred to someone who was considered an equal or a peer in a social or professional context.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Rolls of Parliament from the year 1305, which mentions a certain "William le Peer." This spelling variation reflects the transition from the Old French to the Middle English pronunciation of the name.

Another early reference to the name is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records from the reign of King Edward I. These rolls contain the name "Robert le Peyr," using a slightly different spelling.

The Domesday Book, the famous survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname PAIR. However, it does mention several individuals with the first name "Pair" or "Paire," which may have been the precursor to the later adoption of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname PAIR is Richard Pair, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1450. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of Parliament in the late 15th century.

Another notable figure was John Pair, a merchant and philanthropist born in London in 1575. He made significant contributions to the city's infrastructure and founded several charitable institutions during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, there was a family of Pairs who were influential in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Thomas Pair (1612-1683) was a wealthy landowner and served as the Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1661.

The surname PAIR also has connections to various place names in England, such as Paire's Green in Surrey and Paire's Hill in Sussex. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the surname PAIR who had settled or owned land in those areas.

One of the most notable individuals with the surname PAIR was Sir James Pair (1701-1784), an accomplished military officer who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was knighted for his service and is remembered for his pivotal role in several key battles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pair

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

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

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

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