McNair Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McNair last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the McNair last name
Meaning of the McNair last name: son of the heir. McNair is a Scottish surname from Gaelic Mac an Oighre, "son of the heir", or Mac an Uidhir, "son of the dun-coloured one". The last name belongs to Perthshire and Stirlingshire, and many bearers went to the Carolinas. Others settled in Ulster and later in Canada.
Arms associated with the McNair name
Coats of arms associated with the McNair surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full McNair family history
This is only a glimpse of the McNair story. The full McNair history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted McNair coat of arms. Get the full McNair report.
McNair name FAQ
What does the McNair name mean?
son of the heir. Common variants include MacNair, McNare.
Where does the McNair surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada, Australia and Northern Ireland.
Is there a McNair coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McNair coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).