Explore the Family Name Fair
The meaning of Fair
1. English: nickname meaning ‘handsome, beautiful, fair’, Middle English fair, fayr, Old English fæger. The word was also occasionally used as a personal name in Middle English, applied to both men and women. 2. Irish: translation into English of Gaelic fionn ‘fair’, which Woulfe describes as a ‘descriptive epithet that supplanted the real surname’, or a shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac F(h)inn, a variant of Mag Fhinn (see McGinn).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fair in the United States?
The surname "Fair" has seen a slight shift in popularity according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it was ranked as the 1870th most popular surname; however, by 2010, it had dropped slightly to the 1942nd spot, a decrease of 3.85 percent. Despite this, the number of people with the surname Fair increased from 17,658 in 2000 to 18,609 in 2010, marking an increase of 5.39 percent. This indicates that while the surname’s rank decreased, its absolute count did increase, albeit at a slower pace than other surnames.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,870 | #1,942 | -3.85% |
| Count | 17,658 | 18,609 | 5.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.55 | 6.31 | -3.66% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fair
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some changes within the Fair surname bearers over the decade. The proportion of those identifying as White decreased by 4.22 percent, from 67.85 percent in 2000 to 64.99 percent in 2010. Conversely, those identifying as Hispanic saw the greatest increase of 66.17 percent, moving from 1.33 percent in 2000 to 2.21 percent in 2010. Other noticeable increases were seen among individuals who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying with two or more races, which increased by 41.46 percent and 49.71 percent respectively. Those identifying as Black also saw a minor increase of 3.36 percent, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a modest increase of 5 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67.85% | 64.99% | -4.22% |
| Black | 28.29% | 29.24% | 3.36% |
| Two or More Races | 1.71% | 2.56% | 49.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.33% | 2.21% | 66.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.58% | 41.46% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.42% | 5% |
Fair ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Fair is British & Irish, which comprises 48.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.3%) and Eastern European (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Italian, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.9% |
| French & German | 27.3% |
| Eastern European | 3.5% |
| Other | 20.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Fair
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Fair have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
What Fair haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Fair is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L1029 and E-P252, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Simms, Prince, Sherman, Slater, Cameron, Lacey, Sims, Kendrick, Reese, Gee.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Fair surname are: H1, K1a, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Fair have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Fair" Surname 38.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Fair" Surname 31.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Fair" Surname 26.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Fair" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Fair?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Fair are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition