Prior to 1975 the lieutenant was appointed to the county of Nairn, also known as Nairnshire.
The county was abolished as an administrative area in 1975 and replaced by a local government district called Nairn covering the same area as the pre-1975 county.
Nairn district formed part of the Highland Region.
The lieutenancy area was redefined in 1975 to match the district.
[2] The lieutenancy area is named 'Nairn' in the 1996 statutory instrument which most recently confirmed the area's definition, although the term 'Nairnshire' is also sometimes used in official announcements about it.