The McNair surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,595 people carried this name — #2,191 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,800 people counted. That is up 8% from 15,299 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 5 births for the McNair name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim.”

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 4
Connacht 1

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

In Scotland’s registers today

McNair was recorded 38 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 672nd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 48. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

49 families named McNair, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 252 people lived in those households, 5.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 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 24
Pennsylvania 10
South Carolina 5
Maryland 4
Massachusetts 2
Rhode Island 2
Connecticut 1
New York 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. 253 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McNair in American newspapers,
1889–1919.

Newspaper page from Wichita Eagle carrying the name McNair
Wichita Eagle 1889-06-04
Newspaper page from The Bismarck Tribune carrying the name McNair
The Bismarck Tribune 1919-01-10
Newspaper page from Wichita Eagle carrying the name McNair
Wichita Eagle 1889-08-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 55,762 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McNair in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

6,191 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McNair. The most, 1,438, date from the 1930s. Victoria 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 Tasmania, at 2.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 2,261
New South Wales 1,287
Tasmania 973
South Australia 844
Western Australia 537
Queensland 192
ACT (Canberra) 52
Northern Territory 14

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

Who carried it

People named McNair,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Ronald McNair
    Ronald McNair 1950–1986 · saxophonist
  • Barbara McNair
    Barbara McNair 1934–2007 · television actor
  • Lesley J. McNair
    Lesley J. McNair 1883–1944 · military commander
  • Robert Evander McNair
    Robert Evander McNair 1923–2007 · governor
  • Winifred McNair 1877–1954 · golfer
  • Steve McNair 1973–2009 · American football player

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named McNair,
in the records of 5 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 States1,095 records

1,095 records of the McNair name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 484
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 221
  • Other U.S. records 390
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Willie Charles McNair

    Born 1934; from Ellisville, Mississippi. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam. Buried at Ellisville Cemetery, Mississippi.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James C. McNair

    Born 1922 in Georgia. Enlisted 1943 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; welder. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1964, buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Anchoria from Glasgow, aged 19; house steward. From Castlebar, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,095 records for McNair 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, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia462 records

462 records of the McNair name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 227
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 126
  • Other Australian records 109
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Ann McNair

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849. Married 1849 in Oatlands, Tasmania, aged 38.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thomas McNair

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Fleetwood, aged 38; 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 Margaret McNair

    Gentlewoman of Echuca, Victoria; died 1894.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 462 records for McNair 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) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (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).

Canada160 records

160 records of the McNair name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 91
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 32
  • Other Canadian records 37
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John McNair

    Came to Ontario in 1881 aboard the Corean, landing at Quebec, bound for Richmond Hill, Ontario; Scotch.

    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 Charles Howard McNair

    Buried in 1951 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 88.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Thomas T. McNair

    Died 1909 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 160 records for McNair in Canada.

Counts: 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. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. 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 Kingdom26 records

26 records of the McNair name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 17
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert McNair

    Buried in 1899 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 66.

    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 Philip McNair

    Died 1916. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. McNair

    Army Service Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 26 records for McNair in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). 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).

New Zealand11 records

11 records of the McNair name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Donald Francis McNair

    Died 1989, aged 64; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Robert McNair

    Died 1968, aged 75; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James McNair

    Died 1923, aged 77; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 11 records for McNair in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McNair.

When the index is not enough

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

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the McNair volume
Scroll to Top