Blair
A mainly Scottish surname from a place-name meaning a plain or battlefield.
The #416 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,957 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Blair comes from Scottish Gaelic blàr, a word that originally meant a plain or open field. In Scottish place-names, it often came to mean a battlefield, since open ground was commonly used for fighting. The surname is therefore locational, taken from places called Blair in Scotland.
History
Historical sources place the Blairs of that ilk in Ayrshire and note other Blair families in Perthshire, showing the surname’s strong Scottish roots. The name spread beyond Scotland through migration, especially to other English-speaking countries. Older writers sometimes emphasized the “battlefield” sense of the word, though the place-name origin is the safer explanation for the surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One early writer linked Blair with a site near Lochleven said to mark an ancient battle between the Romans and the Caledonians.
From the historical record
“BLAIN. See Blane. BLAIR. The Blairs "of that ilk" In Ayrshire, have been seated in that co. for more than GOO years. They claim the chief- ship of all the Blairs in the S. and W. of Scotl.. though that honour is challenged by the B.'s of ij.althayock, co. Perth, who date back to the beginning of the XIII. cent.…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom