Lair

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 2 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Lair is also recorded as 2 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• French given name22K records spelled Lair3 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France, United States

  Also written Laîr

• Arabic given name491 records spelled Lair2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Egypt

  Also written Lâîr

49 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Lair is also recorded in 2 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In English, A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In sco, lore

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

FR INSEE — Fichier des noms de famille (1891–2000) — 11 years between 1891–1991. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Pierre-Aimé Lairb. 1769FRFrench official from the 19th century
• Édouard Lair de Beauvaisb. 1790FRFrench architect
• Alfred Lair de Beauvaisb. 1820FRFrench journalist, organist and composer
• Elizabeth Martineau des Chesnezb. 1829FRnot in their usual nameFrench author
• Jules Lairb. 1836FRFrench business owner
• John Lee Jones Lairb. 1894USAmerican songwriter
• Mike Lairb. 1946USAmerican politician
• Sylvaine Lairb. 1979FRFrench association football player
• Caroline Lairb. 1985FRFrench entrepreneur
• Nicole LairFRPh.D. Université Blaise Pascal 1975

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 72 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Lair?

We estimate roughly 6.6 thousand people bear Lair (counting its spellings and scripts) across 2 countries in our records.

In which country does Lair have the most bearers?

We estimate about 6.6 thousand people bear Lair in Brazil, more than in any other country in our records, where it is most often spelled lair.

Where is Lair most common?

Lair is densest in Brazil, where the national register counts about 1 in 32 thousand people carrying it.

Is Lair a male or female name?

Lair is recorded for both men and women. We don't publish a percentage split: a record's gender belongs to the person and is attached to every given name on that record, so names in cultures where a name string also carries a parent's or spouse's given name pick up large cross-gender counts.

What does the name Lair mean?

Recorded meaning: Possibly an Americanized spelling of German Lehr or Lohr (see Loehr).