Boyer
An English occupational surname meaning “bowyer,” or maker and seller of bows.
The #676 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,085 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Boyer is generally understood as a spelling variant of Bowyer, the occupational surname for a maker or seller of bows. The word ultimately goes back to Old French and Middle English forms connected with the bow, and some older writers treated Boyer as influenced by French spelling. In English records it appears alongside forms like le Boyer and Bowyer, showing that it was used as a job-name rather than a place-name.
History
The surname appears in medieval English records, especially in occupational contexts, and Bardsley notes the form in Chester guild material and parish registers. Lower also treats Boyer as equivalent to Bowyer, while adding that a separate French family of the name settled in Ireland after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Because of that, some modern bearers may descend from an English occupational line, while others may come from French Huguenot immigrants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley notes the form in the Chester Play, where the guilds include “Boyeres, Flechers, and Stringeres,” a neat reminder that archery was once a major craft business.
From the historical record
“BOUVIER"! (Fr.) Cattle-Drover, Ox-Herd BOYER \[L.\^3Lt.bovarius;l.l^aX.bos,bovis, an ox] BRAUN (Ger.) Brown [M.H.Ger. O.H.Ger. O.L.Ger. ftr(i/!] BRENDT (Ger.) a syncopated var. of Behrend, q.v. i”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Boyer
- Paul D. Boyer (1918–2018)
- Charles Boyer (1899–1978)
- Jacqueline Boyer (b. 1941)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.