Clair History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France-Alt
France
Ireland

Early Origins of the Clair family

The surname Clair was first found in Brittany, where they held a family seat at many locations including Coural, Grave, Keraliou, Kergolher, Lessquiffio and Lexuhel.

Early History of the Clair family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clair research. Another 265 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1418, 1444, 1772, 1778, 1793 and 1802 are included under the topic Early Clair History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clair Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Leclair, Leclaire, Leclaires, Leclère, Leclere, Leclères, Lecleres, Leclert, Lecler, le Clair, le Claire, le Claires, le Clère, le Clere, le Clères, le Clert, le Cler, Clair, Claire, Claires, Clère, Clere, Clères, Clert and many more.

Early Notables of the Clair family

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clair Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clair Ranking

In the United States, the name Clair is the 7,493^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Clair is ranked the 1,633^rd most popular surname with an estimated 3,673 people with that name. 2

Clair migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clair Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Casper Clair, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 3

Clair Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Clair, aged 36, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1849 3
John T Clair, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1851 3
Louise Clair, aged 52, who immigrated to the United States from Paris, in 1898

Clair Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Chaudet Clair, aged 19, who settled in America from Vassieu, in 1903
Livinia Clair, aged 3, who immigrated to America from Portleven, in 1906
Louis Clair, aged 25, who landed in America from Paris, France, in 1907
Maxime Clair, aged 28, who landed in America from Paris, France, in 1907
Caroline Clair, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from Rougemont le Chateau, France, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clair migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Clair Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Frances Clair, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Stately" in 1851
Miss Fanny Clair, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Stately" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 1st June 1851 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Clair (post 1700) +

Dick Clair (1931-1988), American television producer, actor and television and film writer
Jessica St Clair (b. 1977), American actress, writer, sketch comedian, and comedy improviser
Carl St Clair (b. 1952), American conductor
Alex St Clair (1941-2006), American musician
Ethlyne Clair (1904-1996), American actress
Eugene G. St. Clair (b. 1847), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Marquette County 2nd District, 1891-92 5
Edward St. Clair, American Republican politician, Secretary of Illinois Republican Party, 1910 5
Donna St. Clair, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Fayette County, 1954, 1960 5
Clency C. St. Clair (1871-1957), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Idaho, 1912 5
Cecil T. St. Clair, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Wayne County 2nd District, 1961 5
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"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/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 5) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html