The Fair surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 18,609 people carried this name — #1,942 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 15,800 people counted. That is up 5% from 17,658 in 2000.

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In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 6 births for the Fair name in 1890.

Most were registered in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 2
Leinster 2
Ulster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

28 families named Fair, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 172 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 8
Pennsylvania 7
Maryland 5
South Carolina 4
Massachusetts 3
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 239 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Fair in American newspapers,
1887–1902.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Fair
Daily Kennebec Journal 1902-08-16
Newspaper page from Daily Yellowstone Journal carrying the name Fair
Daily Yellowstone Journal 1887-03-02
Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Fair
The Anaconda Standard 1895-03-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 11,745 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Fair in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

41,134 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fair. The most, 6,026, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Australian Capital Territory, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 11,541
Victoria 10,849
Queensland 6,673
South Australia 4,883
Western Australia 3,463
Tasmania 3,010
ACT (Canberra) 515
Northern Territory 41

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fair.

Who carried it

People named Fair,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Graham Fair
    James Graham Fair 1831–1894 · politician
  • Laura Fair
    Laura Fair 1837–1919
  • Theresa Fair Oelrichs
    Theresa Fair Oelrichs 1854–1926 · socialite
  • Charles L. Fair
    Charles L. Fair 1867–1902
  • Beryl Daisy Fair d. 1999
  • Esther Fair 1797–1882

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Fair,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,501 records

1,501 records of the Fair name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 691
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 259
  • Other U.S. records 551
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Melvin R. Fair

    Born 1918 in Missouri. Enlisted 1944 at Camp Josepth T Robinson Little Rock, Arkansas; locomotive fireman. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1991, buried at Springfield National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Fair

    Arrived at Boston in 1848 aboard the Noemie from Liverpool, aged 24; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ronald Fair

    Born 1938; from New Castle, Pennsylvania. U.S. Marine Corps; killed in action 1968 in Offshore, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,501 records for Fair in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia325 records

325 records of the Fair name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 151
  • Tasmanian Names Index 110
  • Other Australian records 64
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Joseph Fair

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Hooghley, arriving 1834; ticket of leave 1839.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Archd Fair

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the White Star, aged 9; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record David W. Fair

    Executive officer of NSWales, Victoria; died 1957.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 325 records for Fair in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada44 records

44 records of the Fair name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 10
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 10
  • Other Canadian records 24
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Fair

    Came to Ontario in 1877 aboard the Dominion, landing at Quebec, bound for Bracebridge, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Alice Edith Fair

    Buried in 1976 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 86.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Margaret F. Fair

    Died 1900 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 44 records for Fair in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom16 records

16 records of the Fair name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 12
  • Stirling Council burial records 2
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Fair

    Buried in 1915 at Callander Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 74.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. Fair

    Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Fair

    Buried in 1917 at Callander Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 70.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 16 records for Fair in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Ireland7 records

7 records of the Fair name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Charles Fair

    Died 1913, aged 64; buried at White Chapel, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Fair

    Died 1934, aged 84; buried at White Chapel, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Belinda Fair

    Died 1918, aged 48; buried at White Chapel, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Fair in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Fair name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Charles Maitland Fair

    In a population register; born 1877.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Fair.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Fair is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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