Today’s choice is a rarity with French roots.
Thanks to Sara for suggesting Alair as our Baby Name of the Day.
Over the summer I spotted Allaire embroidered on a pink beach towel. It tends to shift this name feminine in my mind, but the truth is more complicated.
Alair, as well as Allaire and Dallaire, are French surnames with a few possible origins:
- The most common explanation is that Alair is derived from the name Hilarius, itself borrowed from the Latin hilaris via a similar Greek word – cheerful;
- Then there are places names in Brittany – I assume the “D” attached in typical French fashion to mean of or from – d’Allaire. DeLair appears in North America;
- I’ve found a few references to Saint Aloire, also called Aldrus and Alorus. Apparently we don’t know much about him, other than that he lived in the 400s in Quimper, Brittany. Picturesque Quimper has more history than many a place, and Celtic influence is still evident in the region, hinting at a lost Celtic connection for Alair.
In the US, Allaire was almost certainly used as a borrowing of the surname. New Jersey’s Allaire State Park takes its name from James P. Allaire, the early industrialist who founded an iron works on the site in the 1820s.
But it seems possibly that the idea of Alair as a given name endured. After all, Hillary and Hilary have long histories of use. Alaire was spotted as a masculine name in medieval England, and Aloire appears as a woman’s name in nineteenth century Canada.
None of them are in use in modern France, and they’ve never cracked the US Top 1000.
But they’d be right at home with current favorites, for either gender. Consider Alexander and Elijah, and even Oliver – all names that open with a vowel paired with an l. On the girls’ side, there are fading choices like Alexis as well as Alyssa, as well as rising picks like Ella. And ends in -r names are equally opportunity, from Carter and Archer to Harper and Jennifer.
On balance, I’d say that the popularity of Claire tips Alair into girl territory, and the more elaborate Allaire seems decidedly feminine. Still, Alair has enough in common with stylish boys’ names that it could pass as a masculine moniker – or even as a contracted form of Alistair or Alasdair.
If you’re after a name that your child will never have to share, but that doesn’t sound too out there, Alair in any spelling could be a viable option.
For me without the “e” makes it masculine, same for Blair and Clair.
I don’t mind this name, but I’m not too found of names ending in the “air” sound.
Sidenote, this week I met a 14 year old boy named Nevada. I guess he fits in with the Dakota and Montana craze of the 90s.
Nevada! Wow. Kind of love it, but wouldn’t expect it.
Adair and Alasdair are a guilty pleasures of mine, so I find Alair appealing. It could be an interesting way to way to honor a Grandpa Alvin or Uncle Alan.
In my mind Alair is male and Alaire is female, in the style of Clair and Claire.
One thing that is putting me off of Alair is that I’ve mistyped it as Aliar… repeatedly. I’ve crossed Lyra off my list because of the Lyra=liar pronunciation issue. Alair might go the same way.
Like it. Interesting and different. The Welsh form of Hilary is Ilar, which isn’t a million miles from Alair. But it might well be Celtic. I wonder whether it shares a root with our Welsh Eilir “butterfly,” or, perhaps more likely still, with Eleri.
Alair is okay, but I still vastly prefer Alasdair or Alastair. Alasdair has been on my short list for a long time. I can see Alair as a possible nickname, although I really like Aly as a nickname.
Allaire somehow makes me think of allure, not something I’d want to associate a child with. Also, Alair just doesn’t look complete to me too. And I’m from the deep South, so with the accent down here, people would think when someone says Alair, that the person was referring to ‘a lair.’ As in a witch’s lair.
Adair seems more namey and complete to me, as well as the classic Alistair.
I am in love with this name. Alair. Alair! It has the lyrical quality of Claire with the sophistication of Blaire. I can see it on either a girl or a boy — though it is going on my boys’ short-list. Beautiful! Thanks, AM!
One of my favorite supervisors had the last name Allard, so I’d probably use that or Alistair if I were looking at Al- names. Alair feels unfinished to me.
I agree about it feeling somewhat unfinished, I would prefer to at least use the double l spelling with the e attached at the end – Allaire. Aloire feels like it should work, but it does remind me somewhat of the word allure, and to a certian extent the same is true for Allaire.
This name definitely seems familiar to me though I can’t put my finger on why. It was probably the name of a character in some book I read.
I really like this name. Vowel names for girls are definitely in fashion right now and I agree that Claire lends Alair feminine qualities. It also reminds me of Alice so I could see it being a nickname for Alistair. I don’t think I’d be able to use it for a first name for a boy though.
Are you thinking of the Baudelaire family from a Series of Unfortunate Events?
Or even the poet, Charles Baudelaire.
No, I haven’t read those books. Though I did see the movie. It’ll come to me 🙂
I know a family with the surname Allaire so that is all it could ever be for me, but it does trip nicely off the tongue.
I met a girl named Allaire and just fell in live with her name! She should be in her mid-20s now. I also like Alistair, and maybe even Alair for a boy. What a nice name!
I also like Hillaire, but not Hillary.