Skip to content
  • Start your family tree

Origins of the Playfair surname

A collage of historical images including two family portraits and a postcard of people boarding a ship

About the Playfairs

We have a total number of 2914 records for people with the last name Playfair.

Find out more about your family in our records

or try an advanced search

“

I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.

SS
Stuart
TrustPilot review
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Playfairs.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Playfair family's history

Where do most Playfairs live?

In 1921, most Playfairs lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Playfairs

How common is your surname?

You have a rare surname! It's not in the top 1000 UK surnames!

We have 1,870 records for the Playfair surname. The oldest one dates back to 1747.

Who were Playfairs most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Playfairs.

What are the most common Playfair first names?

  • Lyon
  • James
  • Lady
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Playfair family members

Common jobs for Playfairs

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Playfairs in 1921
Living On Own Means

11

Annuitant

8

Dressmaker

8

Ind

8

Living On Private Means

7

Common Male occupations for Playfairs in 1921
Farmer

22

Coal Miner

13

Gunmaker

9

Brewer

8

Merchant

8

An image of a census transcript and a picture of a dairy farmer holding two milk jugs

Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 14,000 family trees with the Playfair surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Playfairs.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Share your discoveries

Start your family history journey

Start free trial

Start free trial