Boatwright
An occupational surname for a maker or builder of boats.
The #4,790 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 41,841 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Boatwright is a compound of "boat" and "wright." In Old English and later Middle English, "wright" meant a maker or craftsman, especially one who builds things from wood. The name therefore means literally "boat maker" or "boat builder."
History
Medieval records and later surname dictionaries treat Boatwright as one of several straightforward occupational names in -wright, alongside Cartwright and Wheelwright. It is less common than some of those cousins, but the meaning has remained transparent, which helped the surname stay recognizable. Historical spellings such as Botwright and Boatright reflect older variation in pronunciation and spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
It belongs to the same broad family of craft surnames as Cartwright, Wainwright, Wheelwright, and Shipwright.
From the historical record
“BOATBUILDER. The occupation. BOATMAN. The occupation. BOATWRIGHT. See Wri-ht. 32 BOD BOBBIN. A surname of Robert. A^ido old nursery song of " Robin and Bobbin."”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom