Explore the Family Name Nairn
The meaning of Nairn
Scottish: habitational name from Nairn (Nairns) near Inverness. The placename is taken from the River Nairn, which derives from a Celtic or pre-Celtic word perhaps meaning ‘penetrating one’. History: First mentioned in North America in the Carolina plantation records in 1698, the name appears with Thomas Nairne, a landowner on St. Helena Island. He went on to be a SC assemblyman and an Indian agent.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nairn in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Nairn saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Nairn was ranked 24,350th in terms of commonness among surnames, whereas it slipped to the 25,620th position in 2010, marking a decline of 5.22%. The number of individuals bearing the surname remained nearly constant, with just one less person carrying the name Nairn in 2010 compared to 2000 — a minimal change of -0.1%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,350 | #25,620 | -5.22% |
| Count | 964 | 963 | -0.1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.36 | 0.33 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nairn
Concerning ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. While White individuals made up the majority of those with the Nairn surname in both years (79.67% in 2000 and 76.84% in 2010), there was a small decrease in this percentage over the decade. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic or of Two or more races saw significant increases, rising by 65.70% and 78.49%, respectively. The proportion of Black individuals with the Nairn surname also grew modestly, from 17.12% in 2000 to 17.76% in 2010. There were no individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity reported under this surname during these census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.67% | 76.84% | -3.55% |
| Black | 17.12% | 17.76% | 3.74% |
| Hispanic | 2.07% | 3.43% | 65.7% |
| Two or More Races | 0.93% | 1.66% | 78.49% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |