Nairn Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Nairn last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Nairn coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Nairn last name
Meaning of the Nairn last name: from Nairn. Nairn is a Scottish surname from the town of Nairn on the Moray Firth, named after the river Nairn. Families took the name in the medieval period. The last name is found in Fife and the north-east, and the Nairn linoleum works in Kirkcaldy made it well known.
Arms associated with the Nairn name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Nairn name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Nairn family history
This is only a glimpse of the Nairn story. The full Nairn 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 Nairn coat of arms. Get the full Nairn report.
Nairn name FAQ
What does the Nairn name mean?
From Nairn. Common variants include Nairne, Nairns.
Where does the Nairn surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Nairn coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Nairn 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).