mair

Mair is a surname and, less commonly, a given name used in several cultural contexts. In the Scots language, mair also means more, a reminder that the term appears both as a word and in family names in some regions.

In German-speaking areas, Mair is a variant of the occupational surname Meier/Meyer, linked to roles such as bailiff, steward, or farm administrator. The form Mair is particularly common in parts of Austria, Bavaria, and neighboring regions, reflecting regional spelling variants of the same origin.

In Scotland and among Scots-descended communities, Mair can arise as a surname derived from the given name Mary, or as a family name recorded in early medieval documents. The connection to Mary reflects common practices of forming locational or patronymic names from popular given names.

Geographically, Mair appears across Europe and in diaspora communities, often alongside related spellings such as Maier, Mayer, or Meier. The variant Mair is one of several regional spellings that arose from similar occupational or patronymic roots in Germanic and Gaelic-speaking areas.

Notable individuals bearing the surname have been recorded in diverse fields such as science, arts, and sports, reflecting the name’s broad geographic and cultural reach. Given its cross-cultural usage, Mair should be considered a surname with multiple possible origins rather than a single definable lineage.

See also: Maier, Mayer, Meier, Mary.