Surname Fairbairns - Meaning and Origin

Fairbairns: What does the surname Fairbairns mean?

Fairbairns is a Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Fairbairn near Moffat in the county of Dumfries and Galloway. It is a habitation name which was given to people who lived in the area.

The surname Fairbairns comes from the Old English words "fecake" meaning "a meadow", and "burne" or "burna" which means a "stream". Combined, these two words create the name that was used to describe the area of Fairbairn. The family that originally held the lands, the de Ferbarn family, were owners of the property during the 13th century and the surname was derived from this family.

The Fairbairns surname can be found as far back as the 16th century, and in a Scottish Dirom roll of 1513, one Andrew Ferbarn is mentioned. The name appears to have been in use in the area until the late 18th century, as land records from many estates in the area list Fairbairns as holders or tenants.

Throughout history, the Fairbairns family have been associated with farming and agricultural practices. In earlier times, some of the family members may have also served as craftsmen or blacksmiths. Today, the surname Fairbairns is still predominant in Scotland and can be found in many parts of the United Kingdom and beyond.

Fairbairns: Where does the name Fairbairns come from?

The surname Fairbairns is primarily found in the British Isles. It is most common in Scotland, with the highest concentration is around the area of Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Uist is where the clan originated, dating back to 1354 when Gilbert de Fairbairne erected a fortified castle. After the Battle of Culloden in 1746, some of the Fairbairn family migrated to other parts of Scotland, then to England, North America and Australia.

In England, the surname is quite rare and is mainly found in electoral rolls in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

In North America, the surname is most common in the United States. The earliest known record of a Fairbairns in the United States is a John Fairbain, who arrived in Virginia in 1736. In later years, many of the family migrated to Canada.

In Australia, the surname can be found in electoral rolls in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The earliest known record of a Fairbairn in Australia is a Thomas Fairbairn who arrived in 1799.

To this day, the Fairbairns family remains a prominent family throughout Scotland and other parts of the British Isles, Canada and the United States. In recent years, the family’s name has spread to other parts of the world as family members have emigrated to places like Australia and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Fairbairns

The surname Fairbairns is a form of the Scottish, and to a lesser degree the Irish, occupational surname which originated as the nickname for a barber-surgeon. It is most commonly found as Fairbairn and Fairbarn, but there are a number of other surname variants and spellings that are also created from the same basic root. These variants contain slight variations of the name, but contain the same general meaning of "one who dwells by the fair riverbank." The root surname of Fairbairn is believed to come from early Middle English and Old French words which together roughly mean "beautiful stream".

Variations and spellings of the surname Fairbairns include Fairbank, Fairbanks, Fairbarns, Fairburn, Fairburne, Fairbourne, Fairburns, Fairburne, Fairbourn, Fairborne, Faerbourne, Faerbourn, Farnborogh, Fairburh, Fairburn, Fareburne, Ferbarnh, Ferburn, Ferbourne, Ferbrun, Forburn, and Furburn. Other surnames of a similar origin include Barber, Barbour, Faulkner, Featherstone, and Sayborn.

The Scottish and Irish variant is also linked to the surnames Faraber and Farabairn. This is derived from the Gaelic “FionnBarachai." This term means “fair-haired” or “fair-haired one” and it is believed to have referred to someone with a head of fair hair. It is also closely related to the surnames Furbish, Furbank, and Furburn.

In addition to these variants, there are also various other surnames that derive from the original Fairbairns. These include Bairner, Berner, Fairbalm, Faurebairn, Farbairn, Farverbank, Farverburn, Fourobairn, Furbank, Furburn, Furbush, and Varney.

Famous people with the name Fairbairns

• Elliott Fairbairns: Elliott Fairbairns is a British aerospace engineer and former Royal Air Force pilot who is most known for designing the revolutionary Vickers VC10 airliner.
• John Fairbairns: John Fairbairns was an Australian cricketer. He made his first-class cricket debut for Victoria in November 1893 against New South Wales.
• Alexander Fairbairns: Alexander Fairbairns was a Canadian naval engineer and bridge designer. Fairbairns designed and built a number of bridges, including the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria, British Columbia.
• Augusta Fairbairns: Augusta Fairbairns was a British illustrator active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She is best known for her work in the children's magazine Little Folks and, later, for illustrations for books by E. Nesbit.
• Sir Bryan Fairbairn: Sir Bryan Fairbairn was a British judge who served as a Lord Justice of Appeal from 1931 to 1948. He served in a variety of positions, including Membership in the International Court of Judicial settlement in the congress of the League of Nations, and was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1931.
• Angus Fairbairn: Angus Fairbairn is a British photographer and director. He has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including Apple, Gucci, and Dolce&Gabbana.
• Ron Fairbairn: Ron Fairbairn is a Scottish-born Australian botanist who has published widely about Australian Flora. He is a member of the Historians of Australian botany.
• Alfred Furlong Fairbairns: Alfred Furlong Fairbairns was a British barrister and Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1899 to 1910.

Other surnames

Fairbairn