An English and Scottish surname, Nairn comes from the Gaelic term, ’Narann’ referring to an ancient region in Scotland. Spelling variation for Nairn are Nairne, Nern, Nerne and Nairns. In Scotland, the original Nairn families came from the Nairnshire region in the far northeast corner. Over the years, more settle in Dumfriesshire and Renfrewshire. In England the majority have lived in Northamptonshire county. Within the United States the original Nairn families settled in Pennsylvania and New York. Famous: Nick Nairn (a celebrity chef from Scotland), Michael Nairn (an early manufacturer of linoleum in Scotland), Tara Spencer-Nairn (a television and movie actress from Canada), Allan Nairn (a renown journalist in the US), Kristian Nairn (an actor and musician from Northern Ireland), Rob Nairn (an author from South Africa) and James M. Nairn (a 19th century artist from New Zealand).