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

Poyer, 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 Poyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poyer in America

Poyer is the 25954th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poyer surname appeared 946 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 Poyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poyer 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 Poyer

The surname POYER has its origins in the region of Poitou in western France. The name is derived from the Old French word "poier", meaning "to climb" or "to ascend", suggesting a connection to someone who lived on a hill or elevated terrain.

The earliest known recording of the name dates back to the 12th century in the town of Poitiers, the capital of the historic Poitou region. One notable reference is found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Cyprien de Poitiers, a collection of manuscripts from the Abbey of Saint-Cyprien, which includes mentions of individuals bearing the name Poyer.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records, including the Testa de Nevill, a survey of landholdings compiled in 1243 for King Henry III of England. This document contains entries for individuals with the surname Poyer, indicating their presence in England during this period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Guillaume Poyer, a French nobleman who lived in the late 13th century. Records show that he participated in the Eighth Crusade, led by King Louis IX of France, in 1270.

During the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337-1453), several individuals with the surname Poyer are mentioned in chronicles and historical accounts. Among them was Jean Poyer, a French knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Poyer was prominent in the region of Poitou, with various branches of the family holding estates and titles. One notable figure was René Poyer, a French nobleman and military leader born in 1545, who served as the governor of Poitiers during the French Wars of Religion.

As the name spread beyond its region of origin, it also gained different spellings and variations. In England, for instance, the surname was sometimes recorded as Poyser or Poiser, reflecting the phonetic adaptations that occurred as the name was adopted in different regions.

Other notable individuals with the surname POYER include John Poyer (1624-1679), an English soldier and rebel who played a significant role in the Siege of Pembroke during the English Civil War, and Jacques Poyer (1695-1766), a French architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Paris and Versailles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poyer

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

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

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

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