Meaning: Its source is Saint-Clair, a Norman French name meaning "A place in northern France."

Narrative: It is based on Saint-Clair, the name of a place in northern France.

A number of the Norman aristocrats who conquered England in 1066 were known by the place names of the estates they left behind in France. English attempts to represent the pronunciation of these baronial titles led to the formation of a number of surnames, including Sinclair. Seymour is another name with a similar derivation, derived from the place name Saint-Maur.