Blair Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Blair last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Blair last name
Meaning of the Blair last name: from Blair, "plain, field". Blair comes from one of the many Scottish places called Blair, from a Gaelic word meaning "plain" or "field", and sometimes "battlefield". The name is common across the Scottish Lowlands and in Ulster, where many Blairs settled. A curious detail: George Orwell's real name was Eric Arthur Blair, and a much later Blair became British prime minister.
Arms associated with the Blair name
A curious Scottish detail: heraldry there is still governed by its own court, and the arms tied to the Blair name follow its old rules.
Get your full Blair family history
This is only a glimpse of the Blair story. The full Blair history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Blair coat of arms. Get the full Blair report.
Blair name FAQ
What does the Blair name mean?
From Blair, "plain, field". Common variants include Blaire, Blare, Blear.
Where does the Blair surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in Northern Ireland, the United States and Canada.
Is there a Blair coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Blair coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.