Fairbairn is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Andrew Fairbairn (disambiguation), several peopleBill Fairbairn (William John Fairbairn, 1947–), Canadian ice hockey playerBruce Fairbairn (1949–1999), Canadian musician, songwriter and producerCarolyn Fairbairn, Former member of the BBC Executive Board. Director of corporate development and strategy at ITVCharles Fairbairn, Canadian politician, member for Victoria South (1890–1896)David Fairbairn (politician) (1917–1994), Australian politician and cabinet ministerDavid Fairbairn (artist) (born 1949), Australian painter and printmakerDouglas Fairbairn, Co-developer of the Xerox NoteTaker, one of the first portable computersDouglas Fairbairn, Author of the novel ShootEsmée Fairbairn – see Esmée Fairbairn Charitable TrustGeorge Fairbairn (disambiguation), several peopleIan Fairbairn (1896–1968), British financier and rowerIan 'Walter' Fairbairn, English folk musicianIrene FairbairnIvo Fairbairn-Crawford, British athlete who competed in 1908 Olympics. (800m & 1500m)James Fairbairn (1897–1940), Australian Politician. Minister for Air and Civil Aviation. Killed in the Canberra air disaster, 1940James Fairbairn, Author of Fairbairn's Book of Crests of Families of Great Britain and Ireland, (2 Vols.) T.C. & E.C. Jack, London, 1905Jean Fairbairn, fictional reporter in Lillian Stewart Carl's Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron series of novelsJohn Fairbairn (disambiguation), several peopleJoyce Fairbairn (1939–), Canadian senator and cabinet ministerKa'imi Fairbairn (1984–), American football playerNicholas Fairbairn (1933–1995), British PoliticianPatrick Fairbairn (1805–1874), Scottish theologianPeter Fairbairn (1799–1861), Scottish engineerRhea Fairbairn (1890–1953), Canadian amateur tennis playerRobert A. Fairbairn, part owner of American thoroughbred racehorse High QuestRonald Fairbairn (William Ronald Dodds Fairbairn, 1889–1964), British psychoanalyst, father of Nicholas FairbairnSteve Fairbairn (1862–1938), Australian born rowing coach active in Cambridge and LondonSydney Fairbairn MC (1892–1943), English cricketer and British Army officerThomas Fairbairn, 2nd Baronet (1823–1891), English industrialist and art collectorThomas McCulloch Fairbairn (politician) (1840–1874), Canadian politicianThomas McCulloch Fairbairn, Invented (in 1922) an artificial green for miniature golf which led to the "American minigolf boom of the early 20th century"William Fairbairn (Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet of Ardwick, 1789–1874), Scottish engineerWilliam E. Fairbairn (1885–1960), British soldier, police officer, and WW II commando trainerWilliam John Fairbairn (1947–) – see Bill FairbairnWilliam Ronald Dodds Fairbairn (1889–1964) – see Ronald Fairbairn