Explore the Family Name Fairweather
The meaning of Fairweather
English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English fair(e) ‘fair, beautiful’ + weder, wether ‘weather’, for a person with a cheerful disposition. Compare Merryweather. There is a legend that a Scottish family of Highland origin assumed this name in punning allusion to Job 37:22, ‘Fair weather cometh out of the north’. At the present time the surname is most frequent in East Anglia.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fairweather in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Fairweather has seen a shift in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the name Fairweather was ranked 15,652nd in popularity with a count of 1,714 individuals possessing this surname. By 2010, the rank had dropped slightly to 15,964th despite an increase in count to 1,819 individuals, marking a growth rate of roughly 6.13%. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a marginal decrease of 3.12%, making it somewhat less common in the overall population.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,652 | #15,964 | -1.99% |
| Count | 1,714 | 1,819 | 6.13% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.64 | 0.62 | -3.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fairweather
In terms of ethnic identity, the 2010 Decennial U.S. Census reveals some changes among those carrying the Fairweather surname. While the majority remained White (about 68.22% down from 72.87% in 2000), there was a notable increase in the Black population from 20.89% to 26.28%. A small percentage identified as Hispanic, increasing marginally from 2.33% to 2.53%. Individuals identifying with two or more races decreased from 3.33% to 2.14%. Interestingly, new entries were reported under Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, though they represented less than 1% of the Fairweathers.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.87% | 68.22% | -6.38% |
| Black | 20.89% | 26.28% | 25.8% |
| Hispanic | 2.33% | 2.53% | 8.58% |
| Two or More Races | 3.33% | 2.14% | -35.74% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.49% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.33% | 0% |