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

Boucher, 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 Boucher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boucher in America

Boucher is the 1791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boucher surname appeared 20,050 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Boucher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boucher 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 Boucher

The surname Boucher originates from the French language and traces its roots back to medieval France. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old French word "bouchier," which means "butcher" or "slaughterer." This name was given to individuals whose profession involved working with meat, either as butchers or those engaged in slaughtering animals for their meat.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Boucher can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Boucher, indicating the presence of French-speaking people in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the Boucher family spread across various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and Ile-de-France. The name also gained prominence in other parts of Europe, particularly in England, where French-speaking Normans settled after the conquest.

One notable bearer of the surname Boucher was Lancelot Boucher, a French theologian and philosopher who lived from around 1516 to 1593. He was a prominent figure in the Catholic Reformation and played a significant role in the Council of Trent.

Another influential individual with the Boucher surname was François Boucher, a French painter who lived from 1703 to 1770. He was a renowned Rococo artist known for his idyllic and decorative paintings, particularly those depicting pastoral scenes and mythological subjects.

In the realm of literature, Pierre Boucher, a French-Canadian explorer and author, left a lasting legacy. Born in 1622, he is remembered for his writings about the early settlement of New France, including the book "Histoire véritable et naturelle des moeurs et productions du pays de la Nouvelle-France vulgairement dite le Canada."

Moving to the 19th century, Jonathan Boucher, an English-American clergyman and writer, made significant contributions to the field of education. Born in 1738, he established several schools in Maryland and Virginia and wrote extensively on educational topics.

Lastly, the Boucher family name has been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the village of Boucher in Normandy, France, likely derived its name from the presence of individuals with the surname Boucher in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boucher

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

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 Boucher 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 Boucher 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 Boucher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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