McNair

M3C3N1A1I1R1

proper noun

A surname from Scottish Gaelic.

OriginScottish Gaelic Mac Iain Uidhir →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

proper nounMcNair (countable and uncountable, plural McNairs)

plural McNairs · alternative MacNair · alternative McNeer · alternative M'Nair

  1. countableuncountableA surname from Scottish Gaelic.
  2. A number of places in the United States:
    1. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Fayetteville Township, Washington County, Arkansas.
    2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Lake County, Minnesota.
    3. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas.
    4. countableuncountableA census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Origin

  1. Scottish GaelicMac an Mhaoir“son of the officer”
  2. Scottish GaelicMac an Oighre“son of the heir”
  3. Scottish GaelicMac Iain Uidhir“son of sallow John”
  4. EnglishMcNair

Various origins: * Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Iain Uidhir (“son of sallow John”), from the personal name Iain (“John”) and odhar (“dun; sallow”). * Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac an Oighre (“son of the heir”), from oighre (“heir, inheritor”). * Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac an Mhaoir (“son of the officer”), from maor (“officer”).

More words from Scottish Gaelic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

McNair. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McNair

MLA

“McNair.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McNair. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “McNair,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McNair.

Source: McNair on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.