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![Show Contents]() Clair History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of ClairWhat does the name Clair mean? The name Clair reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Clair family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Clair family lived in Suffolk. Some say the family was originally from Clere, in Vexin, Normandy, and that it is from this location that their surname derives. Early Origins of the Clair familyThe surname Clair was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands, before any of the name made their way to Ireland. They were directly descended from Gilbert Crispin whose son Richard Fitzgilbert was the first settler in England, they enjoy the same ancestors as King William Duke of Normandy. One of Fitzgilbert's descendants was Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, known as "Strongbow," who took his surname from his estate in Suffolk. He left Clair Castle in Suffolk with an army of 2,000 Norman nobles and invaded Ireland in 1172, taking many of his family with him. Early History of the Clair familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clair research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clair History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Clair Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Clair, Clare, Clere, O'Clear, O'Clair and others. Early Notables of the Clair familyMore information is included under the topic Early Clair Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Clair RankingIn the United States, the name Clair is the 7,493rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Clair is ranked the 1,633rd most popular surname with an estimated 3,673 people with that name. 2 Migration of the Clair family to IrelandSome of the Clair family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| 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
- Ethlyne Clair (1904-1996), American actress
- René Clair (1898-1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, French film director
- Philippe Clair (1930-2020), French actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and popular humorist
- Louis Serge Clair (b. 1940), Chief Commissioner of Rodrigues from 2003 until 2006
- Frank J Clair (1917-2005), Canadian football (CFL) coach, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1981
- Donald Clair Christopher (1934-2022), American farmer, founder of Christopher Ranch, the leading producer of fresh garlic in the United States
- St. Clair Bayfield (1875-1967), British stage actor
- St Clair McAlister (b. 1996), Northern Irish politician
- Duane Clair Bickett (b. 1962), former American NFL football linebacker
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Virtute non verbis
Motto Translation: Deeds not words
- "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
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