Adair is a surname of Scotland. A common misconception is that the surname is related to Edgar, Eadgar, O'daire or MacDaire. Robert Fitzgerald De Athdare was the first Adair. He was from what is now

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Robert Fitzgerald fought for the honour of family and title against a Gerald, the white knight, a distant cousin. Although Robert Fitzgerald's father was the

Earl of Desmond Earl of Desmond is a title in the peerage of Ireland () created four times. When the powerful Earl of Desmond took arms against Queen Elizabeth Tudor, around 1578, along with the King of Spain and the Pope, he was confiscated from his estates, ...

, the Fitzgeralds did not see Robert as a nobleman. It was unacceptable for him to kill a knight. A powerful group was against Robert. Robert became a fugitive, relocating to Wigtownshire in southwestern Scotland. To cover his tracks, Robert was granted his surname 'Adare' after the town near his father's lands back in Ireland. Upon arriving in Scotland, Robert learned that the King of Scotland had placed a bounty on the head of a man named 'Currie'. Currie was outlawed as a thief and pirate. The King promised Currie's castle, deemed nearly impregnable, to whoever would bring him the head of Currie. Robert Adare watched over

Dunskey Castle Dunskey Castle is a ruined, 12th-century tower house or castle, located south of the village of Portpatrick, Rhinns, Wigtownshire, on the south-west coast of Scotland. Dunskey Castle is a scheduled monument, a 'nationally important' archaeolo ...

for several days until Currie came out one evening. Robert followed Currie, and engaged the pirate in mortal combat, slaying him at the head of Colfin Glen. Robert took Currie's severed head to the court of Scotland, which explains the Adair crest of a severed head.

List of persons with the surname

* Al Adair (1929–1996), Canadian baseball player, radio broadcaster, author, politician * Alex Adair (born 1994), British DJ, producer and remixer * Allan Adair (1897–1988), British army officer, 6th Baronet *

Archibald Adair Archibald Adair (died 1647) was a 17th-century Irish Anglican bishop. Adair was Dean of Raphoe from 1622 to 1630, when he became Bishop of Killala and Achonry The Bishop of Killala and Achonry was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland dioce ...

(died 1647), Irish Anglican bishop *

Barbara Adair Barbara Adair is a South African writer. Her 2004 novel, ''In Tangier We Killed the Blue Parrot'', was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Literary Award, and the novel ''END'' was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize. Based in Johannesburg, ...

, South African author *

Beegie Adair Bobbe Gorin "Beegie" Adair ( Long, December 11, 1937 – January 23, 2022) was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. In a career that spanned 60 years, she played on more than 100 recordings. More than a third of her recordings were with the B ...

(1937-2022), American jazz pianist * Belle Adair, American actress * Benjamin Frank Adair (1852-1902), American politician * Bethenia Angelina Owens-Adair (1840–1926), American social reformer, physician * Bill Adair (1913–2002), American baseball player/manager * Bill Adair (journalist), founder of the

PolitiFact PolitiFact.com is an American nonprofit project operated by the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, with offices there and in Washington, D.C. It began in 2007 as a project of the ''Tampa Bay Times'' (then the ''St. Petersburg Time ...

website * Billy Adair, Soccer player in the American Soccer League * Bonnie Adair (born 1952), American swimmer/coach * Brian Adair (1935-2021), Scottish sports administrator *

Bunny Adair Herbert Arthur "Bunny" Adair (23 August 1905 – 10 October 1994) was a politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Early life Herbert Arthur Adair was born 23 August 1905 at Wolfram Camp, Qu ...

(1905–1994), Australian politician * Catherine Steiner-Adair, Psychologist and author * Cecil Adair, pen name of author

Evelyn Everett-Green Evelyn Ward Everett-Green (17 November 1856 in London – 23 April 1932 in Funchal) was an English novelist who started with improving, pious stories for children, moved on to historical fiction for older girls, and then turned to adult romantic ...

Charles Adair (soccer) Charles "Chugger" Adair (born August 11, 1971) is a retired American soccer player and current soccer coach. He spent two seasons in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, two in the National Professional Soccer League and seven in the USISL A-Le ...

(born 1971), American soccer player/coach * Sir Charles F. Adair Hore (1874–1950), Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Pensions * Charles Henry Adair (1851–1920), British admiral *

Charles L. Adair Charles L. Adair (21 November 1902 – 2 July 1993) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy during the early-Cold War. Biography Born in Texas, his family resettled in California in 1908. Graduating from Annapolis in 1926, Adair attended ...

(1902–1993) American admiral * Charles Wallace Adair (1914-2006), U.S. ambassador * Sir Charles William Adair (1822–1897), General in the Royal Marines * Cherry Adair (born 1951), American author * Christia V. Daniels Adair (1893–1989), African-American suffragist and civil rights worker *

Cornelia Adair Cornelia Wadsworth Ritchie Adair (April 6, 1837 – September 22, 1921) was a Texas ranch landowner. Early life Born Cornelia Wadsworth on April, 6, 1837, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was one of six children of James S. Wadsworth and Mar ...

(1837–1921), Texas ranch landowner * Craig Adair (born 1963), New Zealand track cyclist *

Daniel Adair Daniel Patrick Adair (born February 19, 1975, in Vancouver) is a Canadian drummer. He is best known for his work with Nickelback and his previous work with 3 Doors Down. He also works with the Canadian band Suspect and the instrumental fusion ...

(born 1975), Canadian drummer * Deb Adair (born 1966), Emmy award-winning sound engineer * Deborah Adair (born 1952), American actress * Donald Adair (born 1960), American figure skater * Doug Adair (1929-2019), U.S. TV news anchor and journalist *

Douglass Adair Douglass Greybill Adair (March 5, 1912 – May 2, 1968) was an American historian who specialized in intellectual history. He is best known for his work in researching the authorship of disputed numbers of ''The Federalist Papers'', and his influen ...

(1912–1968), American historian * E. Ross Adair (1907–1983), U.S. Representative from Indiana * Edward Robert Adair (1888-1965), British and Canadian historian *

Eleanor R. Adair Eleanor Reed Adair (November 11, 1926 – April 20, 2013) was an American physiologist who studied the effects of electromagnetic radiation on humans. She is best known for performing the first human studies demonstrating the safety of microwa ...

(1926–2013), American scientist *

Forrest Adair Forrest Adair (1865 – 1936) was a real estate dealer. He was the son of real-estate and streetcar developer Col. George Washington Adair and lived in Atlanta, Georgia He served as Fulton County (Georgia) Commissioner from 1895 until 1903. A ...

(1865–1936), real estate developer * George Adair (1823–1899), real estate developer * George W. Adair Jr. (1874–1921), real estate developer *

Gilbert Adair Gilbert Adair (29 December 19448 December 2011) was a Scottish novelist, poet, film critic, and journalist.Stuart Jeffries and Ronald BerganObituary: Gilbert Adair ''The Guardian'', 9 December 2011. He was critically most famous for the "fien ...

(1944-2011), author and journalist *

Gilbert Smithson Adair Gilbert Smithson Adair FRS (1896–1979) was an early protein scientist who used osmotic pressure measurements to establish that haemoglobin was a tetramer under physiological conditions. This conclusion led him to be the first to identify ...

(1896–1979), British scientist *

Green B. Adair Green Buren Adair (1840 - April 20, 1914) was a prominent Atlanta cotton merchant who conducted business in Atlanta from the Civil War until the turn of the 20th century. He was a cousin of George Washington Adair, another prominent real estate ...

(1840–1914), cotton merchant *

Harry Adair Harry Adair (born 14 December 1997) is an English cricketer. He made his first-class debut on 1 April 2018 for Oxford MCCU against Kent as part of the Marylebone Cricket Club University fixtures. He made his Twenty20 debut on 23 August 2019, f ...

(born 1997), English cricketer * Hazel Adair (1920–2015), British soap opera writer, film producer/director * Hazel Adair (novelist) (1900-1990), pen name of British author Hazel Iris Addis *

Henry R. Adair Henry Rodney Adair (1882–1916) was an American cavalry officer. He is most notable for his participation in the Battle of Carrizal of the Pancho Villa Expedition. Biography Adair was born in Astoria, Oregon, on April 13, 1882. He was a part o ...

(1882-1916), American lieutenant cavalry officer *

Hubert Adair Sergeant Hubert Hastings "Paddy" Adair (1917–6 November 1940) was a World War II Royal Air Force pilot during the Battle of Britain. Early life Adair was born in Norwich in 1917, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Adair, and was educated at the ...

(1917–1940), World War II Royal Air Force pilot * Hugh Edward Adair, 3rd Baronet (1815–1902), British Liberal Party politician *

Hugh R. Adair Hugh R. Adair (August 29, 1889 – January 18, 1971)"In Memoriam: Hugh R. Adair", 156 ''Montana Reports'' (1971), xxvii-xxviii. was a legislator, lieutenant governor, and justice of the Montana Supreme Court, United States. He served on the court ...

(1889–1971), Justice of the Montana Supreme Court * J. Leroy Adair (1887–1956), U.S. Representative from Illinois *

James Adair (historian) James Adair (c.1709–1783) was a native of County Antrim, Ireland, who went to North America and became a trader with the Native Americans of the Southeastern Woodlands. Life From 1735 he resided there for 40 years and was almost entirely cu ...

(1709–1783), explorer and author * James Adair (serjeant-at-law) (–1798), Irish soldier, politician * James Makittrick Adair (1728–1802), Scottish army officer, doctor * Janet Adair (1901–2005), American Actress *

Janice Adair Janice Adair (25 May 1905 – 11 November 1996) was a British film actress of the early sound era. She was married to the film editor Alfred Roome. Biography Janice Adair was born Beatrice Mary Duffy in Morpeth, Northumberland in 1905 to Thoma ...

(1905–1996), British actress *

Jay Adair Jay Adair (born 1969/1970) is an American billionaire businessman, and the chief executive officer (CEO) of Copart, a car salvage company founded by his father-in-law, Willis Johnson. Adair started at Copart as a manager in 1989 at the age of 1 ...

(born 1969/1970), American businessman, (CEO) of Copart * Jean Adair (1873–1953), Canadian Actress *

Jerry Adair Kenneth Jerry Adair (December 17, 1936 – May 31, 1987) was an American Major League Baseball second baseman, shortstop and third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals between 195 ...

(1936–1987), American baseball player *

Jessica Adair Jessica Elizabeth Adair (born December 19, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who played most recently for the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. Adair is currently playing for the Townsville Fire in the Australian WNBL. Personal Bo ...

(born 1986), American basketball player *

Jim Adair James Albert Adair (born September 29, 1948) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA). He appeared in 70 WHA games, recording 12 goal and 17 assists, along with 10 penalty minutes A ...

(born 1942), Canadian hockey player * Jimmy Adair (1907–1982), American baseball player, manager and coach *

John Adair John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, slave trader, soldier, and politician. He was the eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. A native of South Carolina, Ada ...

(1757–1840), American soldier, politician (Kentucky) *

John Adair (anthropologist) John Adair (1913 in Memphis, Tennessee – December 14, 1997 in San Francisco, California), was an American anthropologist best known for work in visual anthropology but also very much involved and interested in applied anthropology. After ser ...

(1913–1997), Professor of Anthropology * John Adair (author) (born 1934), UK leadership expert * John Adair (surveyor) (–1722), Scottish surveyor and mapmaker * John A. M. Adair (1864–1938), U.S. Representative from Indiana *

John Frederick Adair John Frederick Adair (20 January 1852 – 1 April 1913) was an Irish mathematician and physicist who taught in England and Australia. He was a keen cricketer who played first-class cricket for Cambridge University in 1875. Adair was born at ...

(1852–1913), Irish physicist and cricketer * John G. Adair, Canadian psychologist * John George "Black Jack" Adair (1823-1885), Scots-Irish businessman *

John Ronald Shafto Adair John Ronald Shafto "Ron" Adair OBE (22 May 189327 June 1960) was an Australian aviator, army officer and businessman. In recognition for his service to aviation, Adair was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1955. Early ...

(1893–1960), Australian businessman and aviator *

Johnny Adair John Adair (born 27 October 1963), better known as Johnny Adair or Mad Dog Adair, is an Ulster loyalist and the former leader of the "C Company", 2nd Battalion Shankill Road, West Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). This was a ...

(born 1963), Ex-Loyalist Paramilitary *

Joseph Adair Joseph Woods Adair (1877 – November 1, 1960) was a politician in Alberta, Canada, a municipal councillor in Edmonton, and a candidate for election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Biography Joseph Adair was born in Glasgow, Scotla ...

(1877–1960), Canadian politician *

Mark Adair Mark Richard Adair (born 27 March 1996) is an Irish international cricketer from Northern Ireland, currently playing for Northern Knights in domestic cricket. He has played county cricket in England for Warwickshire County Cricket Club. He is a ...

(born 1996), Irish cricketer *

Mary Adair Mary Adair (also known as Mary Adair Horsechief, born 1936) is a Cherokee Nation educator and painter based in Oklahoma. After completing her education, she first taught school and then worked in youth programs. She served as the director of the ...

(born 1936), Cherokee Nation educator and painter * Molly Adair (1905–1990), British actress * Nancy Adair, documentary producer *

Natasha Adair Natasha Denean Adair (née Barnes; born September 7, 1972) is the head women's college basketball coach for Arizona State. She replaced Charli Turner Thorne, who retired March 2022 after 25 seasons with the Sun Devils. Playing career Born Nata ...

(born 1972), women's college basketball coach *

Patrick Adair Patrick Adair (1625?–1694) was an Irish presbyterian minister, notable for his part in negotiations with government for religious liberty and settlement through his career. Biography Rev. Patrick Adair was of the family of Adair of Galloway, or ...

(1624–1694), Irish Presbyterian minister * Perry Adair (1899–1953), American amateur golfer * Peter Adair (1943–1996), film-maker and artist *

Red Adair Paul Neal "Red" Adair (June 18, 1915 – August 7, 2004)Obituary: Red Adair

Rhona Adair Rhona Kathleen Adair (2 September 1881 – 27 March 1961) was an Irish amateur golfer. She won the British Ladies Amateur twice and the Irish Ladies' Close Championships four times at the start of the twentieth century. Life Adair was bor ...

(1878–1961), British golf champion * Rick Adair (born 1958), American baseball player, coach *

Robert Adair (actor) Robert Adair (3 January 1900 – 10 August 1954) was an American-born British actor. He was born in San Francisco. He was also known as Robert A'Dair, the name by which he was billed in ''Journey's End'' (1930). Adair died of leukemia in London ...

(1900–1954), American-born British actor *

Robert Adair (cricketer) Robert Emile Adair (1876 – 18 March 1951) was an Irish cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He first played for Ireland against I Zingari in August 1899, and next played in Ireland's first four firs ...

(1876–1951), Irish cricketer * Robert Adair (physicist) (1924–2020), Physics professor *

Robert Adair (politician) Sir Robert Adair GCB (24 May 1763 – 3 October 1855) was a distinguished British diplomat, and frequently employed on the most important diplomatic missions. He was the son of Robert Adair, sergeant-surgeon to George III, and Lady Caroline ...

(1763–1855), English diplomat * Robert Adair, 1st Baron Waveney (1811–1886), British politician *

Rod Adair Rod Adair is an American politician who served as a member of the New Mexico Senate for district 33 from 1997 to 2013. Early life and education Adair was born in Hagerman, New Mexico and graduated from Hagerman High School. He earned a Bachel ...

, American politician * Ron Adair (born 1931), Australian former association footballer * Ross Adair (born 1994), Irish cricketer * Sandra Adair (born 1952), American film editor * Sean Adair (born 1986), South African cricketer * Thelma C. Davidson Adair (born 1920), Presbyterian educator, guest speaker educator, and activist * Thomas Benjamin Stratton Adair (1868–1928), Rear Admiral and Scottish politician *

Tom Adair Thomas Montgomery Adair (June 15, 1913 – May 24, 1988) was an American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter. Biography Adair was born on 15 June 1913, in Newton, Kansas, where his father owned a clothing store: he was the only child of Will ...

(1913–1988), American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter * Trevor Adair (–2020), Soccer coach *

Virginia Hamilton Adair Virginia Hamilton Adair (February 28, 1913, New York City – September 16, 2004, Claremont, California) was an American poet who became famous later in life with the 1996 publication of ''Ants on the Melon''. Background Mary Virginia Hamilton was ...

(1913–2004), American poet * William Penn Adair (–1880), second chief of the Cherokee nation, and the person for whom Will Rogers was named * Sir William Thompson Adair (1850–1931), Royal Marine officer and Ulster Unionist

Fictional characters

* Daisy Adair, fictional TV character * Helen Adair, main character in '' Comin' Thro the Rye (1923 film)'' * Michael Adair, main character in ''

The Conversations at Curlow Creek ''The Conversations at Curlow Creek'' is a historical novel written by the prominent Australian author David Malouf. It was first published in 1996 by the Random House publishing group. Plot summary The story takes place in 1827 on an isol ...

'' *

Rachel Adair This is a list of characters that have appeared or been mentioned on the American ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. A Aaron :(Chad Brannon, 2009) Abigail :( Ivy Bethune, 1987) Sarah Abbott :(Eileen Dietz, 1981–83) ::Roommate to Heather W ...

, fictional character on General Hospital * Adair (

Trainz ''Trainz'' is a series of 3D train simulator video games. The Australian studio Auran (since 2007 N3V Games) released the first game in 2001. The simulators consist of route and session editors called ''Surveyor'', and the ''Driver'' module, ...

), one of several drivers on Trainz Simulator * Finnick Odair, from Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy

List of persons with the given name

Adair Blain Adair Macalister Blain (21 November 1894 – 28 April 1983) was an Australian politician and soldier. He represented the Division of Northern Territory in the House of Representatives from 1934 to 1949, albeit with limited voting rights. He en ...

(1894–1983), Australian politician * Adair Ford Boroughs (born 1979/1980), American lawyer and politician *

Adair Cardoso Adair Cardoso (born June 27, 1993) is a Brazilian singer and composer of sertanejo music. His first success was the song "Que se Dane o Mundo", which was the theme of the 18th season of the TV series Brazilian '' Malhação''. Biography Car ...

(born 1993), Brazilian singer and composer *

Adair Crawford Adair Crawford FRS FRSE (174829 July 1795), a chemist and physician, was a pioneer in the development of calorimetric methods for measuring the specific heat capacity of substances and the heat of chemical reactions. In his influential 1779 bo ...

(1748–1795), Scots-Irish chemist *

Adair Dyer Cromwell Adair Dyer, Jr. (9 September 1932 – 11 June 2015) was an attorney well known for his work in international law. He was formerly the Deputy Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. Though his work in pr ...

, Attorney, international law *

Adair Ferguson Adair Janelle Ferguson (born 5 October 1955) is an Australian former World Champion lightweight rower. She became Australia's first female world champion rower in 1985 in only her second year of rowing. Club and state rowing Ferguson had repre ...

(born 1955), Australian rower * Adair Bushyhead "Paddy" Mayes (1885–1963), Major League Baseball player *

Adair Roche, Baron Roche Alexander Adair Roche, Baron Roche PC (24 July 1871 – 22 December 1956) was a British barrister and law lord. Background Adair Roche was the second son of William Brock Roche, a doctor, and his wife Mary Fraser, daughter of William Fraser ...

(1871–1956), British judge *

Adair Tishler Adair Rae Tishler (born October 3, 1996) is an American former child actress, model, voice actress, and singer, who has appeared in television shows such as '' Charmed'' and ''House'' and in movies such as ''Within'' and '' An American Girl: Ch ...

(born 1996), American child Actress *

Adair Turner, Baron Turner of Ecchinswell Jonathan Adair Turner, Baron Turner of Ecchinswell (born 5 October 1955) is a British businessman and academic and was Chairman of the Financial Services Authority until its abolition in March 2013. He is a former Chairman of the Pensions Commis ...

(born 1955), British businessman

References

{{given name, type=both Surnames of Scottish origin Surnames of Lowland Scottish origin Surnames of Ulster-Scottish origin

List of persons with the surname

Fictional characters

List of persons with the given name

See also

References