Blair

From WikiName

 |male/female

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

Blair, which is of Scottish and Gaelic origin, means "field, plain." It was originally a Scottish surname but is now used as a given name. The surname was regional, referring to places named by the Gaelic "blàr." Beginning in the early 1980s, Blair began to be used more as a girl's name than as a boy's name.^[1]

POPULARITY

Blair was a moderately popular boy's name throughout the twentieth century. Its highest position on the top 1000 chart in the United States was during 1953 and 1954 when it ranked at number 435. Popularity declined in the 1980s and Blair last appeared on the boy's chart in 1995.^[1]

As a girl's name, Blair first appeared on the chart in 1980, and while it saw top 500 popularity during the 80s, it last appeared on the chart in 2000, ranking at 972.^[1]

The popularity of the name Blair in other countries^[1]:

• 72nd - as a boy's name in Scotland (2006)
• 288th - as a boy's name in Australia (2003)
• 496th - as a boy's name in Canada (BC) (2002)

FACTS

• When The Blair Witch Project debuted in the U.S. it was an instantaneous smash hit. The film was based on a creation of the writers and directors, The legend of the Blair Witch, but the documentary feel of the film convinced many movie-goers that they were watching non-fiction.^[1]

• According to Undiscovered Scotland: "Blair Castle is the ancient seats of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl and holds an important place in Scotland's history. Strategically located, whoever held Blair Castle was gatekeeper to the Grampian mountains and the route north to Inverness...The Castle has the distinction of being the home of the Atholl Highlanders, Europe's last remaining private army. Blair Castle was one of the first private houses to be opened to the public and today it welcomes more visitors than any other."^[1]

• The Blair Street vaults, in Scotland, were built in 1788. In the early 1990's the vaults were rediscovered, cleaned out and opened up again for public access. Since 1997, many paranormal occurrences have been reported and continue today.^[1]

• USS Blair was a destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.^[1]

• Blair House, built in 1824, is the official guest house for the President of the United States.^[1]

• According to The New Baby Name Survey, people associate the name Blair with a girl who is stuck-up and preppy. This view may be influenced by the character Blair from The Facts of Life. ^[1]

NAMESAKES

U.S. towns named Blair:^[1]

• Blair, Nebraska
• Blair, Oklahoma
• Blair, South Carolina
• Blair, Wisconsin
• Blair, West Virginia
• Blairs, Virginia
• Blairs Mills, Pennsylvania
• Blairsburg, Iowa
• Blairstown, Iowa
• Blairstown, Missouri
• Blairstown, New Jersey
• Blairsville, Georgia
• Blairsville, Pennsylvania

Television Characters named Blair:^[1]

• Blair Warner (The Facts of Life)
• Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl)

FAMOUS PERSONS

• Blair Russel (Hockey Hall of Famer)
• Blair Betts (professional hockey player)
• Blair Brown (actor)
• Blair Kiel (football player)
• Blair Phillips (football player)
• Blair Rasmussen (basketball player)
• Blair Thomas (football player)
• Blair Underwood (actor)
• Blair Wilson (Politician)

Celebrity babies named Blair:

• Blair, child of Bonnie Blair
• Blair, child of David Cruikshank

Celebrities with Blair as a last name:

• Tony Blair (former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)
• John Blair (former U.S. Supreme Court Justice)
• Linda Blair (actress)
• Selma Blair (actress)
• Betsy Blair (actor)
• Bill Blair (baseball player)
• Bonnie Blair (Olympic speed skater)
• Buddy Blair (baseball player)
• Corcel Blair (professional soccer player)
• Dennis Blair (baseball player)
• Emma Blair (published author)
• Footsie Blair (baseball player)
• Isla Blair (actor)
• James T. Blair Jr. (Politician)
• Janet Blair (actor)

NOTES

Authors: JL Perry and Sarena Emily Levinson