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, s ...

, 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' archaeolog ...

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 James Allen "Al" "Boomer" Adair (May 13, 1929 – December 24, 1996) was a minor league baseball player, radio broadcaster and politician from Alberta, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1993. Early life Adair ...

(1929–1996), Canadian baseball player, radio broadcaster, author, politician * Alex Adair (born 1994), British DJ, producer and remixer *

Allan Adair Major General Sir Allan Henry Shafto Adair, 6th Baronet, (3 November 1897 – 4 August 1988) was a senior officer of the British Army who served in both World wars; as a company commander in the Grenadier Guards in the First World War, and as ...

(1897–1988), British army officer, 6th Baronet * Archibald Adair (died 1647), Irish Anglican bishop * Barbara Adair, 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 Marion Danne "Bill" Adair (February 10, 1913 – June 17, 2002) was an American coach and interim manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). A second baseman, he was a career minor-league player who never rose about the Class AA level but who sp ...

(1913–2002), American baseball player/manager *

Bill Adair (journalist) Bill Adair is the founder of the Pulitzer Prize-winning website PolitiFact and Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University, where he specializes in journalism and new media, with an emphasis on structured j ...

, 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 Times'' ...

website * Billy Adair, Soccer player in the American Soccer League *

Bonnie Adair Bonnie Adair was born in El Segundo, California in 1952, and started swimming and diving at age 5. Adair set 35 National Age Group records and for 29 years had the fastest 50-meter freestyle record for an 8-year-old. Bonnie competed in 14 National ...

(born 1952), American swimmer/coach * Brian Adair (1935-2021), Scottish sports administrator * Bunny Adair (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 association football, soccer player and current soccer coach. He spent two seasons in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, two in the National Professional Soccer League (1984� ...

(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 (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 Craig Robert Adair (born 31 January 1963) is a New Zealand track cyclist. Adair was born in Christchurch in 1963. Under the guidance of Wayne Thorpe, he represented New Zealand at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. Despite being a novic ...

(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 Deb Adair (born April 22, 1966, in Manchester, Connecticut) is an American re-recording mixer. She won 3 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Film Sound Mixing and Outstanding Sound Mixing - Special Class for her work on '' Aladdin'' in 1995- 1996 and '' ...

(born 1966), Emmy award-winning sound engineer *

Deborah Adair Deborah Adair (born Deborah Adair Miller) is an American television actress, primarily known for her roles in soap operas. Early life Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Adair attended the University of Washington, where she earned a degree in adve ...

(born 1952), American actress * Donald Adair (born 1960), American figure skater *

Doug Adair Doug Adair (May 29, 1929 – April 29, 2019) was an American television news anchor and journalist who worked in the Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton, Ohio markets. Career Born in Xenia, Ohio, Adair got his start in journalism in television in Da ...

(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 Edwin Ross Adair (December 14, 1907 – May 5, 1983) was an American lawyer and World War II veteran who served ten terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1951 to 1971. Early life Born in Albion, Indiana, Adair attended grade and high ...

(1907–1983), U.S. Representative from Indiana *

Edward Robert Adair Edward Robert Adair, FRHistS (April 26, 1888 – April 12, 1965) was a British and Canadian historian. Life and career Born in London, Adair was the son of Colonel Edward A. Adair, a Confederate States Army officer who declined to take the oath o ...

(1888-1965), British and Canadian historian * Eleanor R. Adair (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 George Washington Adair (March 1, 1823 – September 29, 1899) was a real-estate developer in post Civil War Atlanta. Early life Col George Washington Adair was born 1 Mar 1823, of Scots-Irish parentage in rural Morgan County, Georgia. His pa ...

(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 "fiend ...

(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 coo ...

(1896–1979), British scientist * Green B. Adair (1840–1914), cotton merchant * Harry Adair (born 1997), English cricketer * Hazel Adair (1920–2015), British soap opera writer, film producer/director *

Hazel Adair (novelist) Hazel Iris Addis, née Wilson (30 May 1900 – 1 October 1990), was a British writer of over 20 novels from 1935 to 1953, under the pseudonyms Hazel Adair and A. J. Heritage. Under her real name, H. I. Addis, she also published works relatin ...

(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 ...

(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 C ...

(1917–1940), World War II Royal Air Force pilot * Hugh Edward Adair, 3rd Baronet (1815–1902), British Liberal Party politician * Hugh R. Adair (1889–1971), Justice of the Montana Supreme Court *

J. Leroy Adair Jackson Leroy Adair (February 23, 1887 – January 19, 1956) was a United States representative from Illinois and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Education and career Ada ...

(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 Janet Adair (24 November 1938) was an American vaudeville, ragtime, musical revue and musical comedy performer in the early twentieth century, who also appeared in five film, movies. Biography Adair was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in about ...

(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 Thom ...

(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 ...

(born 1969/1970), American businessman, (CEO) of Copart *

Jean Adair Jean Adair (born Violet McNaughton; June 13, 1873 – May 11, 1953) was a Canadian actress. She was also known as Jennet Adair. Career Born Violet McNaughton in Hamilton, Ontario, Her work as Jennet Adair in vaudeville included performing as a ...

(1873–1953), Canadian Actress * Jerry Adair (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 (born 1942), Canadian hockey player *

Jimmy Adair James Aubrey Adair (January 25, 1907 – December 9, 1982) was an American baseball infielder, manager and coach. Although he played only briefly in Major League Baseball, as a shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, Adair had a long career as a minor l ...

(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) John Eric Adair (born 18 May 1934) is a British academic who is a leadership theorist and author of more than forty books (translated into eighteen languages) on business, military and other leadership. Life Adair was born in Luton and educated at ...

(born 1934), UK leadership expert *

John Adair (surveyor) John Adair FRS (1660–1718) was a Scottish surveyor and cartographer, noted for the excellence of his maps. He first came to public notice in 1683, with a prospectus published in Edinburgh for a "Scottish Atlas" stating that the Privy Coun ...

(–1722), Scottish surveyor and mapmaker * John A. M. Adair (1864–1938), U.S. Representative from Indiana * John Frederick Adair (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 (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, Scotland in ...

(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 t ...

(born 1936), Cherokee Nation educator and painter *

Molly Adair Mary Marguerite Potter (24 March 1905 – 9 September 1990), known professionally as Molly Adair, was an English stage and silent screen actress. She was married to Arthur James Siggins, a policeman who later became a writer, from New Zeala ...

(1905–1990), British actress *

Nancy Adair ''Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives'' is a 1977 documentary film featuring interviews with 26 gay men and women. It was directed by six people collectively known as the Mariposa Film Group. Peter Adair conceived and produced the film, an ...

, documentary producer * Natasha Adair (born 1972), women's college basketball coach * Patrick Adair (1624–1694), Irish Presbyterian minister *

Perry Adair Oliver Perry Adair (1899 – May 30, 1953) was an American amateur golfer from Atlanta, Georgia, who grew up playing golf at East Lake Golf Club with his friend Bobby Jones. He was a very accomplished player, having won the 1921 and 1923 Southe ...

(1899–1953), American amateur golfer *

Peter Adair Peter Adair (November 25, 1943 – June 27, 1996) was a filmmaker and artist, best known for his pioneering gay and lesbian documentary '' Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives'' (1977). Early life Adair was born in Los Angeles County in 1943. ...

(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 born ...

(1878–1961), British golf champion *

Rick Adair Michael Richard Adair (born January 19, 1958) is a former pitching coach for the Baltimore Orioles and a former minor league baseball player. He was succeeded as pitching coach by Bill Castro. Playing career As a player, Adair played college b ...

(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 Londo ...

(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 first- ...

(1876–1951), Irish cricketer *

Robert Adair (physicist) Robert Kemp Adair (August 14, 1924 – September 28, 2020) was an American physicist. He latterly held the position of Sterling Professor Emeritus of physics at Yale University. Biography Adair served in the European theatre after volunteeri ...

(1924–2020), Physics professor *

Robert Adair (politician) Sir Robert Adair Order of the Bath, GCB (24 May 1763 – 3 October 1855) was a distinguished British diplomacy, diplomat, and frequently employed on the most important diplomatic missions. He was the son of Robert Adair (surgeon), Robert Adai ...

(1763–1855), English diplomat *

Robert Adair, 1st Baron Waveney Robert Alexander Shafto Adair, 1st Baron Waveney (25 August 1811 – 15 February 1886) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Cambridge for 8 of the years from 1847 to 1857. Life Born in Ballymena, ...

(1811–1886), British politician * Rod Adair, American politician *

Ron Adair Ron Adair (born 1931 in Derry, Northern Ireland) is an Australian former association footballer. Playing career Club career Adair played his junior football for Victoria Park in Western Australia before joining North Perth in 1952. After playing ...

(born 1931), Australian former association footballer * Ross Adair (born 1994), Irish cricketer * Sandra Adair (born 1952), American film editor *

Sean Adair Sean Adair (born 26 December 1986) is a South African cricketer. He played in 53 first-class, 47 List A, and 4 Twenty20 matches for Eastern Province from 2006 to 2012. See also * List of Eastern Province representative cricketers This is a ...

(born 1986), South African cricketer *

Thelma C. Davidson Adair Thelma Cornelia Davidson Adair (born Thelma Cornelia Davidson; August 29, 1920) is an American educator, Presbyterian church leader, advocate for human rights, peace and justice issues, writer and activist. She has been active with Church Women U ...

(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 Willi ...

(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 wa ...

(1913–2004), American poet *

William Penn Adair William Penn Adair (1830–1880) was a leader of the Cherokee Nation. Born in the traditional Cherokee territory in Georgia, he traveled as a child with his family on the Trail of Tears of Indian Removal from the Southeast to Indian Territory to w ...

(–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) ''Comin' Thro the Rye'' is a 1923 British silent drama film directed by Cecil Hepworth and starring Alma Taylor and Ralph Forbes. The film was based on the 1875 novel of the same name by Helen Mathers. The title alludes to the Robert Burns 1 ...

'' * Michael Adair, main character in '' The Conversations at Curlow Creek'' *

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

, 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 The following is a list of characters in ''The Hunger Games'' novels, a series of young adult science fiction novels by Suzanne Collins whose original trilogy was later adapted into a series of four feature films. The actors who portray these c ...

, 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 enli ...

(1894–1983), Australian politician *

Adair Ford Boroughs Adair Ford Boroughs (born 1979/1980) is an American lawyer who serves as the United States attorney for the District of South Carolina. Education Boroughs received a Bachelor of Science, ''summa cum laude'', from Furman University in 2002 and ...

(born 1979/1980), American lawyer and politician * Adair Cardoso (born 1993), Brazilian singer and composer *

Adair Crawford Adair Crawford Royal Society#Fellows, FRS FRSE (174829 July 1795), a chemist and physician, was a pioneer in the development of calorimetry, calorimetric methods for measuring the specific heat capacity of substances and the heat of chemical rea ...

(1748–1795), Scots-Irish chemist * Adair Dyer, 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 (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: C ...

(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 Commiss ...

(born 1955), British businessman

References

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