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Boyer Family History

Boyer Surname Meaning

French: regional variant of Bouvier ‘herdsman’. This surname is also found in Haiti. Compare Bouyea and Boyea. Altered form of German Bayer or Beyer.

German: habitational name for someone from Boye (near Celle-Hanover). English: variant of Bowyer. Danish: habitational name from a place so named.

This surname is also found in Norway probably from the same source. Americanized form of Norwegian Bøye or Bøje (see Boye).

Swedish: probably of German origin (see above).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Boyer family from?

You can see how Boyer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Boyer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Boyer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 166 Boyer families living in Lancashire. This was about 17% of all the recorded Boyer's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Boyer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Boyer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Boyer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Boyer. 20% of Boyer men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Boyer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Boyer were Travelling Gen Foreman On A R P Work and Housewife.

View Census Data for Boyer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    20%
  • Dairy Farmer
    10%
  • Farm Worker
    6%
  • Travelling Gen Foreman On A R P Work
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Boyer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 265,000 census records available for the last name Boyer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Boyer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Boyer

Passenger Lists

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Boyer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Boyer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 55,000 military records available for the last name Boyer. For the veterans among your Boyer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Boyer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Boyer family history

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What is the average Boyer lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Boyer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Boyer in 1943 was 36, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Boyer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Boyer ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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