Find out how popular the last name Borchers is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Borchers.

Borchers, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Borchers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Borchers in America

Borchers is the 11035th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Borchers surname appeared 2,881 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Borchers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Borchers to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Borchers

The surname Borchers originates from Germany, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to the 12th century in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Low German words "bor" (meaning "to bore" or "drill") and "ker" (meaning "maker" or "craftsman"), suggesting an occupational origin for individuals engaged in the trade of drilling or boring holes.

Historically, the name Borchers was particularly prevalent in the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia, where many families with this surname can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The first documented mention of the name appears in a manuscript from the year 1187, referring to a certain "Johannes Borchers" who was a tradesman in the city of Bremen.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Borchers surname gained prominence in various regions of northern Germany, with several notable individuals bearing this name. One such figure was Hinrich Borchers, a respected merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Lübeck during the late 15th century.

As the name spread across German-speaking territories, variations in spelling emerged, including Borcher, Borchers, Borker, and Borker. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local customs of record-keeping.

One of the earliest known references to the Borchers name outside of Germany can be found in the records of the Dutch East India Company, where a sailor named Pieter Borchers is mentioned as having embarked on a voyage to the East Indies in 1624.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Borchers surname. For example, Johann Borchers (1576-1633) was a renowned Lutheran theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Rostock. Another notable figure was the German architect and urban planner, Friedrich Borchers (1844-1909), who was responsible for the design of several iconic buildings in Berlin during the late 19th century.

In the realm of literature, the name Borchers is associated with the German novelist and playwright, Elisabeth Borchers (1926-2013), who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of identity and personal relationships.

It is worth noting that the Borchers surname has also been adopted by various families in other parts of Europe and beyond, likely through migration or intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the skilled craftsmen and tradesmen of northern Germany, who bore this distinctive surname as a mark of their occupation and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Borchers

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Borchers.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Borchers was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Borchers has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Borchers was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Borchers, please contact us.

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