De Boer
A Dutch surname meaning “the farmer” or “the peasant,” originally used to identify someone by occupation or rural status.
The #4,543 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 39,593 Americans shares it.
Etymology
De Boer is a Dutch surname built from the definite article de, meaning “the,” and boer, meaning “farmer” or “peasant.” In literal terms it means “the farmer.” Like many Dutch surnames, it likely began as a descriptive label for someone who was a farmer or lived as part of the rural class. Over time it became fixed as a hereditary family name.
History
The surname is especially common among people of Dutch ancestry, including in the Netherlands and in North American communities descended from Dutch immigrants. In the United States, the name is often found in families with roots in Dutch-settled regions or later immigrant communities. As with many Dutch surnames, the space was often dropped in English-language records, producing the single-word form DeBoer or Deboer.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Dutch surnames beginning with De are common enough that many were formalized only in the early 19th century, when hereditary surnames became more consistently registered.