Fair
A surname usually from the adjective “fair,” describing someone’s complexion, hair, or appearance, and sometimes a place-name element.
The #1,942 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 16,591 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fair comes from the Old English and Middle English adjective meaning “beautiful,” “light,” or “pale.” As a surname, it was often applied as a nickname to someone with fair hair or complexion, though in some cases it may also point to a local feature or place-name using the same word. Related spellings such as Fayre reflect older English forms.
History
The name is well attested in English surname tradition and appears in several compound surnames such as Fairhead, Fairbank, and Fairford. In Scots usage it could also carry a sense of “fairly” or “honestly,” but the core surname idea remains descriptive. The shorter form Fair is comparatively straightforward and likely arose independently in more than one family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower specifically notes an old Scots war-cry built around the phrase “bide me fair,” showing how the word could carry a sense of fair or equal combat as well as appearance.
From the historical record
“Phail. FAIR. FAYRE. Allusive to com- plexion. So the Latin Flavus, the French Blond, Blondel, &c., and the Italian Bioudi, &c. It is often found in composition with other words, in English family names, as will be seen below. Sometimes the epithet alludes to a personal peculiarity, as in Fairhead, Fairbeard. and…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom