2010
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sair
Of Arabic origin, an occupational surname referring to a traveler or voyager.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Sair. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sair 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Sair in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sair, the largest self-reported group is White at 36.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.3%) and Black (20.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sair
The surname SAIR is of Scottish origin, emerging in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Scots word "sair," meaning "sore" or "painful." This likely referred to a person who had experienced some form of physical hardship or injury.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SAIR surname can be found in the Dumfriesshire parish records from the late 1500s. These records mention individuals with variations of the spelling, such as "Saire" and "Sayre."
In the 17th century, the SAIR surname began appearing in various Scottish legal documents and records, including the Regality of Dunfermline Court Book from 1631, which references a "James Sair."
The name SAIR was also present in the Aberdeenshire area during this time, with a "William Sair" mentioned in the Burgess Roll of Aberdeen in 1634.
One notable individual with the SAIR surname was John Sair (c. 1640-1707), a Scottish minister and academic who served as the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1691 until his death.
Another significant figure was Robert Sair (1766-1838), a Scottish engraver and printer who established one of the earliest printing businesses in Edinburgh.
In the 19th century, the SAIR surname spread beyond Scotland, with records indicating individuals bearing the name in England and Ireland. One such person was Thomas Sair (1801-1879), an Irish mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the development of the Nautical Almanac.
The SAIR surname also found its way to North America, with individuals like William Sair (1830-1908), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Another notable bearer of the SAIR name was Archibald Sair (1889-1962), a Scottish-American engineer and inventor who held several patents related to automotive and aircraft technologies.
While the SAIR surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, including academics, religious leaders, artists, and public servants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sair
Among Census respondents with the surname Sair, the largest self-reported group is White at 36.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.3%) and Black (20.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sair 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 Sair surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White36.9% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander33.3% · 37
- Black or African American20.7% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sair
Sair appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-15 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,802 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 14,802 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 Sair 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 | #133,863 | #148,665 | -11.1% |
| Count | 126 | 111 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sair bearers went from 126 to 111 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 14,802 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #148,665.
FAQ
Sair surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sair?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Sair. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Sair?
Sair ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Sair. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sair.
Has Sair become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sair went from 126 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Sair?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sair, the largest self-reported group is White at 36.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.3%) and Black (20.7%). 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 Sair in the 2020 Census, accounting for 36.9% (41 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sair appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (36.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (33.3%), Black (20.7%). 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 Sair (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 Sair mean?
Of Arabic origin, an occupational surname referring to a traveler or voyager. 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 Sair (0.04 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 Sair?
See how common the surname Sair is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.