Adair
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Adair
Adair has flair, the grace of a Fred Astaire, and a daring, spirited vibe. It's usually considered a Scottish surname, derived from the name Edgar, though other possibilities are that it derives from the place name, Adare, meaning "ford of oak trees" or from the Irish Darragh meaning "oak tree". In any of these cases, it is pronounced uh-DEHR.
Adair for boys#2145 US
Alternatively, it may be used as a Portuguese name, likely as a twist on Ademar. Pronounced with three syllables ("a-du-EER"), it would mean "wealth and fame".
A unisex choice, Adair does lean masculine, with 59 boys and 22 girls given the name in the US in a recent year.
Adair for girls#5412 US
A unisex name with lots of flair and a daring spirit, Adair was first noticed as a girl's name in the 1980's, thanks to the long-running daytime drama Search for Tomorrow, with the character Adair McCleary, who had ahead-of-their-time brothers named brothers Hogan, Cagney and Quinn. Given to just 22 girls in a recent year (along with 59 boys), it remains a familiar but quietly used choice.
A name with several different sources, Adair may be considered a Scottish surname, derived from the name Edgar. As such, it would mean "wealthy spearman". Other possibilities are that it derives from the place name, Adare, meaning "ford of oak trees" or from the Irish Darragh, also relating to oak. In any of these cases, it is pronounced uh-DEHR.
Adair may also be seen in Brazil, likely used as a variation on the Portuguese name, Ademar. Pronounced with three syllables ("a-du-EER"), it would mean "wealth and fame".
Adair may make an appealing alternative to Addie, Ada, Blair, or Arde.
Pronounced uh-DAIR.
As of October 2026, Adair ranked #2145 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1562 in 2007, Nameberry popularity #429.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #3,299 | 33 | #4,179 | 35 |
| 2015 | #2,329 | 56 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #3,359 | 33 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #2,597 | 48 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #4,477 | 22 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #3,346 | 34 | #4,545 | 30 |
| 2020 | #4,538 | 21 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #3,358 | 34 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #2,789 | 46 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #2,219 | 64 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #2,363 | 59 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #2,145 | 67 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Adair for boys
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Famous Adairs
- (Jonathan) Adair TurnerBoy
Baron Turner of Ecchinswell, British businessman and academic; former Chairman of the Financial Services Authority
- Adair Macalister "Chill" BlainBoy
Australian MP
- Adair CardosoBoy
Brazilian singer and composer
- Adair CrawfordBoy
Scots,Irish chemist
- Adair Rae TishlerGirl
American actress
Adair in pop culture
- Adair O'DellGirl
character in "The Face on the Milk Carton" by Caroline B. Cooney