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Extended Surname History Download (PDF) - Letter Size

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In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the Nayar family were part of a tribe called the Picts. The name Nayar is derived from the personal name John. The Gaelic form of their name was originally Mac-Iain-uidhir, which means son of dun John. However, the Nayar family of Perth traditionally derive their name from M'an-oighre, which means son of the heir. Experts have also theorized that the surname Nayar may be derived from Mac-an-fhuibir, which means son of the smith, or Mac-an-huidhir, which means son of the stranger.

Early Origins of the Nayar family

The surname Nayar was first found in Perth, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Further to the south in England, the Menaire, Menear, Manhire and other variants claim descent from Walter Maenhir who was listed in Devon in 1293. The very rare variant Manhire traces back to Ellis Menheire who was listed in Devon in 1642. 1

Early History of the Nayar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nayar research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1392, 1526, 1546, 1776 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nayar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nayar Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Nayar has been spelled MacNair, MacNaire, MacNayer, MacNeir, MacNuir, Menair and many more.

Early Notables of the Nayar family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nayar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Nayar family to Ireland

Some of the Nayar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nayar family

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Nayar: John McNair, a Highland Scott, from Kilkenny, Argyll, came to America in 1770 with his 2 surviving children and settled in Robeson County, North Carolina.
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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