Lair Surname History

Origins Available:
England
France

The ancestry of the name Lair dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Leire, in Leciestershire, or in Layer in Essex. They are all derived from an ancient Celtic river name, Leir. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been an occupational name for 'the layer,' i.e. a stone layer, one who sets the stones in building, a waller. 2

"'Layere, or werkare wythe stone and mortere, cementarius': Promptorium Parvulorum, and v. Way's note thereon. Probably the term was familiar to Norfolk, as the above quotation suggests, for Layer has been a Norfolk surname for many centuries." 3

And another source has a slightly different origin, noting the name was from the "French layeur, a forest surveyor; one who makes roads through forests." 4

Early Origins of the Lair family

The surname Lair was first found in Lincolnshire, where Hugh de Leir was registered in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275. Years later, Alice le Eyr (Leyr) was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Essex in 1327 and in the same year, William le Eyr was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk. 1

As mentioned Norfolk became a stronghold for the family. The source History of Norfolk lists: George Layer, of Bury, Surrey, 1429; William Layer, Sheriff of Norwich, 1526 and Mayor, 1537; and Mary Layer, 1710, Boughton, Norfolk. A marker notes 'Here resteth the body of Mary, daughter of Christopher Layer, citizen and alderman of Norwich, who deceased the 9th of October, 1602' 5

Early History of the Lair family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lair research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1291, 1327, 1429, 1526, 1531, 1537, 1600, 1661, 1683 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Lair History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lair Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Lair have been found, including Layer, Layar, Layre, Leyr, Leyre and others.

Early Notables of the Lair family

Distinguished members of the family include Christopher Layer (1531-1600), of Norwich, Norfolk, an English merchant, burgess of Norwich, and briefly a Member of Parliament. He was the son of William Layer, Mayor of Norwich and Elizabeth, daughter of John Marsham of Norwich, gentleman. The four figurines encased in the two pilasters of The Layer Monument, also known as The Layer Quaternity in the Church of St John Maddermarket are rare examples of Northern Mannerism sculpture in Britain. Another...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lair Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lair Ranking

In the United States, the name Lair is the 6,311^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Lair is ranked the 1,118^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,880 people with that name. 7

Lair migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lair Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Eliza Lair, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on October 4, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Lair (post 1700) +

Michael Lair (1946-2017), American politician and former educator, Member of the Missouri House of Representatives (2009-2016)
Orla E. Lair, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from California, 1940, 1942 9

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anna Maria voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1851 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anna-maria/1851
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html