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

Goyer, 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 Goyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Goyer in America

Goyer is the 29878th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Goyer surname appeared 786 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Goyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Goyer 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 Goyer

The surname Goyer originated in France and traces its roots back to the medieval French language. It is derived from the Old French word "goierre," meaning "maker of goys," which were small drinking vessels or cups. The name likely referred to an occupation, indicating that the original bearer was a maker or seller of these vessels.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Goyer surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this name may have migrated from France to England during or shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, records show a Jean Goyer living in the French province of Normandy. He is believed to be one of the earliest known individuals with this surname. Around the same time, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Goierre, Goiyer, and Goyeur, reflecting regional variations and changes in spelling conventions over time.

During the 16th century, several notable individuals bore the Goyer surname. One such person was Etienne Goyer, a French Protestant reformer and theologian who lived from 1520 to 1592. He played a significant role in the spread of Calvinism in France during the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable figure was Jean-Baptiste Goyer, a French explorer and fur trader who lived from 1670 to 1736. He was among the early European settlers in the region that would become the state of Illinois in the United States.

In the 18th century, Jacques Goyer, a French-Canadian farmer and landowner, was born in 1712 in Boucherville, Quebec. He is considered one of the ancestors of many individuals bearing the Goyer surname in North America today.

During the 19th century, François-Xavier Goyer, a Canadian politician and lawyer, made a name for himself. Born in 1824 in Quebec, he served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec and played an influential role in the political landscape of his time.

Lastly, in the 20th century, Denis Goyer, a French-Canadian writer and poet, gained recognition for his literary works. Born in 1919 in Montreal, he was known for his unique poetic style and contributions to the French-Canadian literary scene.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Goyer

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

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

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

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