Boyer () is a French surname. In rarer cases, it can be a corruption or deliberate alteration of other names.

Origins and statistics

Boyer is found traditionally along the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

(

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...

), the Rhône valley,

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...

Limousin Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...

Périgord Périgord ( , ; ; oc, Peiregòrd / ) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is div ...

and more generally in the Southwest of France. It is also found in the north of the country. There are two variant spellings: Boyé (southwest) and Bouyer ( Loire-Atlantique,

Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime () is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on the southwestern coast of France. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square kil ...

). , Boyer ranks 55th in the most common surnames in France. For the period 1891–1990 it ranked 34th. Like many other surnames, it used to be a nickname describing somebody's job: "bullock driver", "cowherd", that is to say '' Bouvier'' in common French. It derives mainly from the Occitan ''buòu'' "ox", with the suffix ''-iar / -ier'', frenchified phonetically or, further north, sometimes from a variant form in dialectal French ''bô, bou'' "ox" corresponding to common French ''bœuf'' with the suffix ''-ier''. In French, the modern spelling ''-oyer'' avoids confusion between ''-oi-er'' and ''-oier'' . In rarer cases, it can be a corruption or deliberate alteration of several other names : # In England, it may come from

bowyer A bowyer is a master-craftsman who makes bows. Though this was once a widespread profession, the importance of bowyers and of bows was diminished by the introduction of gunpowder weaponry. However, the trade has survived and many bowyers conti ...

, meaning "bow maker" or "bow seller."http://www.ancestry.com.au/facts/Boyer-places-origin.ashx -- English variant # In Turkish, the name may come from "boy-er", "boy" meaning "size" or "stature" and "er" meaning "man" or "soldier." # It can also be a corruption or deliberate alteration of German names like Bayer or Bauer.

People with the surname

Abel Boyer Abel Boyer (1667? – 16 November 1729) was a French-English lexicographer, journalist and miscellaneous writer. Biography Abel Boyer was probably born on 24 June 1667 at Castres, in Upper Languedoc, southern France. His father, Pierre Boyer, o ...

(1667–1729), French-English lexicographer and journalist * Alexis de Boyer (1757–1833), French surgeon * Andre Boyer (disambiguation), several people * Angélique Boyer (born 1988), French-Mexican actress * Anita Boyer (1915–1985), American Big Band singer and songwriter * Anise Boyer (1914–2008), American dancer and actress * Anne Boyer (born 1973), American poet and essayist * Antide Boyer (1850-1918), French manual worker, Provençal dialect writer and journalist * Auguste Boyer (1896-1956), French professional golfer prominent on the European circuit * Benjamin Markley Boyer (1823-1887), Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives * Bert Boyer, director of the Centre of Alaska Native Health Research * Bill Boyer Jr., American entrepreneur, owner of Mokulele Airlines *

Blaine Boyer Blaine Thomas Boyer (born July 11, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, ...

(born 1981), American baseball player * Blair Boyer (born 1981), Australian politician *

Boni Boyer Boni Boyer (July 28, 1958 – December 4, 1996) was an American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer. She was best known for her work with Prince in the late 1980s. Biography Boyer was playing keyboards and singing backing vocals with ...

(1958–1996), American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer *

Carl Benjamin Boyer Carl Benjamin Boyer (November 3, 1906 – April 26, 1976) was an American historian of sciences, and especially mathematics. Novelist David Foster Wallace called him the "Gibbon of math history". It has been written that he was one of few histori ...

(1906–1976), American historian of mathematics *

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

(1899–1978), French-American actor * Charles-Georges Boyer (1743–1806 or 1807), French music publisher * Charles P. Boyer (born 1942), American mathematician *

Christine Boyer Catherine Christine Eléonore Boyer (3 July 1771 – 14 May 1800) was a member of the Bonaparte family as the first wife of Lucien Bonaparte, a younger brother of Napoleon. Life Born in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France, Boyer was the daught ...

(1771-1800), first wife of

Lucien Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (born Luciano Buonaparte; 21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), was French politician and diplomat of the French Revolution and the Consulate. He served as Minister of the Interior from 1799 to 1800 ...

* Claude Boyer (1618-1698), French clergyman, playwright, apologist and poet * Claudette Boyer (1938–2013), Canadian politician *

Clete Boyer Cletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer (February 9, 1937 – June 4, 2007) was an American professional baseball third baseman — who occasionally played shortstop and second base — in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Athletics (1955–57 ...

(1937–2007), American baseball player * Denise Boyer-Merdich (born 1962), American soccer player and a part of United States women's national team * Derek Boyer (born 1969), Fijian-Australian world champion powerlifter * Edie Boyer (born 1966), American discus thrower * Elizabeth H. Boyer (born 1952), American fantasy author * Elizabeth M. Boyer (1913–2002), American lawyer, feminist founder of Women's Equity Action League (WEAL), and writer *

Éric Boyer Éric Boyer (2 December 1963) is a French former professional road bicycle racer. Boyer was born in Choisy-le-Roi. In the 1988 Tour de France, he finished in 5th place in the overall classification - the highest placed French finisher. Boyer wo ...

(born 1963), French professional road bicycle racer * Ernest L. Boyer (1928-1995), American educator * François Boyer (1920-2003), French screenwriter * G. Bruce Boyer (born 1941), Journalist *

George Boyer George R. Boyer (born c. 1954) is Professor of Labor Economics in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. He is best known for his work in the field of economic history, and in particular his research on the English po ...

(born 1954), Professor of Labor Economics in the

School of Industrial and Labor Relations The New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University (ILR) is an industrial relations school and one of the four New York State contract colleges at Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, United States. The ...

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

* Gilles Boyer (born 1971), French politician of the Horizons party and elected

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

* Glenn Boyer (1924–2013), American writer * Greg Boyer (disambiguation), several people * Herbert Boyer (born 1936), American biochemist and businessman * India Boyer (1907–1998), American architect * Isabella Eugénie Boyer (1841-1904), French-American model and heiress * Jacques Boyer (born 1955), American cyclist and child molester *

Jacqueline Boyer Jacqueline Boyer (, born Eliane Ducos, 23 April 1941) is a French singer and actress. She is also the daughter of performers Jacques Pills and Lucienne Boyer. In 1960, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for France singing "Tom Pillibi", with m ...

(born 1941), French singer * Jean Boyer (director) (1901–1965), French director and author * Jean Boyer (politician) (born 1937), French politician *

Jean-Pierre Boyer Jean-Pierre Boyer (15 February 1776 – 9 July 1850) was one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, and President of Haiti from 1818 to 1843. He reunited the north and south of the country into the Republic of Haiti in 1820 and also annexed ...

(1776–1843), Haitian President and emancipator of slaves in Santo Domingo * Jean-Pierre Boyer (cardinal) (1829–1896), French prelate of the Catholic Church, also the

Bishop of Clermont The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Clermont (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Claromontana''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Clermont'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the department of Puy-d ...

and

Archbishop of Bourges In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

* Jim Boyer (disambiguation), several people * John W. Boyer (1890-1924), race car driver and co-winner of the

1924 Indianapolis 500 The 12th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1924. Lora Lawrence Corum started the race in the #15 entry, and was relieved during the race by Joe Boyer. Boyer proceeded to driv ...

. * John W. Boyer (born 1946), American historian and academic administrator * Joseph Boyer (1848–1930), a Canadian-American inventor and computer industrialist *

Josh Boyer Josh Boyer (born January 21, 1977) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Boyer previously coached with the New England Patriots and multiple college footba ...

(born 1977), American football coach * Julien Boyer (born 1988), French professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who plays as a

left-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

* Katherine Boyer, Canadian Métis artist * Katy Boyer, American actress *

Ken Boyer Kenton Lloyd "Ken" Boyer (May 20, 1931 – September 7, 1982) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman, coach and manager who played with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers for 15 ...

(1931–1982), American baseball player * LaNada Boyer (born 1947), Native American writer and activist * Lewis L. Boyer (1886-1944), American politician and

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

* Lisa Boyer (born nd.), College Basketball Coach * Louis Boyer (disambiguation), several people * Lucien Boyer (1876-1942), French music hall singer * Lucienne Boyer (1901–1983), French singer *

Mark Boyer Mark Boyer (born September 16, 1962) is a former American football tight end. High school career Boyer prepped at Edison High School in Huntington Beach. College career Boyer played college football at the University of Southern California ...

(born 1960), retired

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

Mark A. Boyer Mark A. Boyer (born June 15, 1961) is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Connecticut. He is a specialist in international relations theory. His recent scholarship analyzes governmental ...

(born 1961), Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geography at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

and a specialist in

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

theory * Marius Boyer (1885–1947), French architect and professor *

Marine Boyer Marine Clémence Boyer (, born 22 May 2000) is a French female artistic gymnast. She is the 2018 Mediterranean Games champion, the 2016 European silver medalist and the 2018 European bronze medalist on the balance beam. She is also the 2018 Eu ...

(born 2000), French female artistic gymnast * Max Boyer (born 1984), Canadian professional wrestler * Merle Boyer (1920–2009), American jewelry designer * Michael Boyer (born 1960), American actor and showman *

Miguel Boyer Miguel Boyer (5 February 1939 – 29 September 2014) was a Spanish economist and politician, who served as minister of economy, treasury and commerce from 1982 to 1985. Early life and education Boyer was born in St. Jean de Luz, France, on 5 F ...

(1939–2014), Spanish politician * Mitch Boyer (1837–1876), Old West guide and interpreter of Sioux and French Canadian descent * Myriam Boyer (born 1948), French film and television actress *

Nate Boyer Nate Boyer (born January 9, 1981) is a United States Army Green Beret. He is also an occasional actor. After serving six years and multiple tours for the Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Boyer played college football as a walk-on at the Unive ...

(born 1981),

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

Green Beret The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of the Second World War. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF wh ...

and actor * Nikki Boyer (born 1975), American actress and singer-songwriter * Otto Boyer (1874–1912), German

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

painter and writer *

Pascal Boyer Pascal Robert Boyer is a French-American cognitive anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist, mostly known for his work in the cognitive science of religion. He taught at the University of Cambridge for eight years, before taking up the posit ...

, French-American anthropologist * Patrick Boyer (born 1945), Canadian politician * Paul Boyer (disambiguation), several people * Peter Boyer (born 1970), American composer *

Phil Boyer Philip John Boyer (born 25 January 1949) is an English former footballer who played for various clubs during his career, including Southampton, Norwich City, AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City. He has the rare distinction of having played ov ...

(born 1949), English footballer *

Pierre François Xavier Boyer Pierre François Xavier Boyer (7 September 1772 – 11 July 1851) became a French division commander during the Napoleonic Wars. He joined a volunteer regiment in 1792. He fought in the Italian campaign of 1796 and participated in the French ...

(1772–1851), French general of the Napoleonic Wars and Algerian invasion *

Régis Boyer Régis Boyer (25 June 1932 – 16 June 2017) was a French literary scholar, historian and translator, specialised on Nordic literature and the Viking Age. Biography Régis Boyer was born in Reims on 25 June 1932. At age 20 he earned a degree in lit ...

(1932–2017), French scholar * Richard Boyer (disambiguation), several people * Rick Boyer (1943–2021), American author and university professor * Robert Stephen Boyer, American professor of computer science, mathematics, and philosophy at The University of Texas at Austin * Robert Hamilton Boyer (1932-1966), a visiting professor shot and killed in Charles Whitman's shooting spree at The University of Texas at Austin in 1966, known for the Boyer–Lindquist coordinates * Robert Boyer (artist) (1948–2004), Canadian artist of aboriginal heritage * Scott Boyer (1947–2018), American musician * Sally Boyer, American gambler *

Stéphen Boyer Pierre Jean Stéphen Boyer (born 10 April 1996) is a French professional volleyball player. He is a member of the France national team. The 2020 Olympic Champion and the 2017 World League winner. At the professional club level, he plays for J ...

(born 1996), French volleyball player * Stéphane Boyer (born 1988), Canadian politician and mayor of

Laval, Quebec Laval (; ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is in the southwest of the province, north of Montreal. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third-largest city in the province after Montreal and Quebec City, and the thirteenth largest city in C ...

* Valérie Boyer (born 1962), French politician and Senator for

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and ...

* Yves Boyer (born 1965), French luger who competed in the men's singles and doubles events at the

1992 Winter Olympics ) , nations = 64 , athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women) , events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines) , opening = 8 February 1992 , closing = 23 February 1992 , opened_by = President François Mitterrand , cauldron ...

* Yvonne Boyer (born 1953), first indigenous person from Ontario appointed to the Senate of Canada * Zac Boyer (born 1971),

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

right winger A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

Notes

{{surname, Boyer Occitan-language surnames

Origins and statistics

People with the surname

See also

Notes