Blair is a name of Scottish origin, meaning "plain" or "field". It was traditionally given to boys, but has become more popular as a girl's name in recent years.
The name Blair is derived from the Gaelic word "blàr", which means "plain" or "field". It was originally used as a surname in Scotland before being adopted as a given name. The most famous bearer of the name Blair is arguably John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan and Sheriff of Orkney, who lived in the late 14th century.
Over time, the name Blair has become more popular around the world. In the United States, it has been consistently ranked among the top 1000 names for both boys and girls since the mid-20th century. It is particularly popular in Scotland, where it ranks as one of the most common surnames.
Today, Blair is worn by people of all ages and genders around the world. While its meaning remains grounded in Scottish history and nature, its popularity has made it a globally recognized name with a wide variety of associations.
The name Blair had a notable increase in popularity from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, with a peak of 268 births in 1953 and 274 births in 1954. However, it experienced a steady decline afterward, reaching its lowest point in recent years with only 49 births in 2020. Despite this trend, there has been a slight increase since then, with 60 births in 2021 and 81 births in 2022, indicating that Blair may be regaining some popularity as a baby name. In total, the name Blair was given to 14,870 babies between 1881 and 2023.