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

Stair, 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 Stair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stair in America

Stair is the 12328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stair surname appeared 2,522 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 Stair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stair 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 Stair

The surname "Stair" originated in Scotland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "stæger," which means "stair" or "flight of steps." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent staircase or steep hill.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Stair," "Staire," and "Stayer" in Scottish charters and records. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where a "William del Stayr" was listed as a landowner in Berwickshire.

The Stair family played a significant role in Scottish history, with several notable members. Sir James Stair (1619-1695) was a prominent Scottish lawyer and philosopher who served as Lord President of the Court of Session. His son, John Stair (1648-1707), followed in his footsteps and became an influential legal writer.

Another notable figure was James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount Stair (1619-1695), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served as Secretary of State for Scotland. He was instrumental in negotiating the Union of Scotland and England in 1707.

In the 18th century, the surname Stair was also associated with the village of Stair in Ayrshire, Scotland. This place name likely derived from the same Old English root as the surname, reflecting the local geography.

Several other individuals with the surname Stair made their mark in various fields. Sir John Stair (1720-1789) was a Scottish philosopher and jurist, while James Stair (1805-1868) was a Scottish architect known for his work in Glasgow.

It is worth noting that the Stair surname has also been recorded with slight variations such as "Stayer," "Steir," and "Steyr" in historical documents, reflecting the fluid nature of spellings in earlier times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stair

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

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

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

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