Surname Boer - Meaning and Origin
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Boer: What does the surname Boer mean?
The surname Boer is a Dutch word meaning "farmer" and is derived from the Middle Dutch terms “boer” and “buir”. The original Boars were peasant farmers in the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Zeeland, living in small villages and towns. During the 15th and 16th centuries, many of the Boar farmers moved to the Netherlands' eastern provinces, and later to the Dutch colonies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
As the Boar farmers spread to different countries, the spelling of their surname changed. In the Netherlands, it often became Boor, and sometimes Boors. In the United States, many people adopted Boer as the spelling used.
The most famous Boers are the Dutch colonists who founded the historic Boer Republics in South Africa in the 19th century. They were a rebellious people, fighting two major wars against the British Empire in an effort to maintain their independence and integrity.
It is thought that many of today’s Boer descendants are of Dutch and Afrikaans ancestry, though the name is common among people of German, Swedish, and British heritage. Today, the surname Boer is widely spread around the world, and can be encountered in many different countries, cultures, and settings.
Order DNA origin analysisBoer: Where does the name Boer come from?
The surname Boer is believed to have originated as an occupational name in the Netherlands, and may have derived from particular places in each province that were inhabited by farmers. In the fourteenth century, the name began to spread across Europe and can still be found in many countries to this day.
In the Netherlands, Boer is still a very common last name. It is especially prominent in provinces such as Limburg, North Brabant, and Zeeland, where it is often the most popular surname. The name also spread to the former Dutch colonies of South Africa, Suriname, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Australia, and can still be found across all of these countries as well.
Boer is also quite popular in France, especially in the north and northeastern regions, as well as in Norway and Sweden. It even appears in the United States, where it is especially common in Pennsylvania. In all of these countries, Boer is often a very prominent surname, and continues to be found in areas where Dutch individuals and their descendants reside.
In conclusion, the last name Boer is typically found in areas where Dutch populations have settled, with particularly high concentrations in the Netherlands, France, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. It is still a fairly common surname across the world, and is especially popular in areas with large Dutch communities.
Variations of the surname Boer
The surname Boer is of Dutch, German and South African origin and has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. One variant is Buer, a German and Austrian form of the surname; the Dutch variant is Boersma; and the internationally common variant is Bower or Bauer.
In Dutch, the surname is also spelled as Boer, Boor, Boers and Boors. It is derived from the Middle Dutch word “boer,” meaning farmer, and was given to a farmer's family. It is also spelled as Boerma and Boersma, a Dutch patronymic surname related to the Dutch given name Boer.
In German, the surname is also known as Buer, Buers and Boers and is derived from the Middle High German word “buer,” meaning one living on a farm or in the countryside. The German and Austrian variant Buer and the internationalized Bower or Bauer are formed similarly.
In South Africa, the surname is derived from the Dutch term “Boer” and is most commonly used for the descendants of Dutch settlers. Originally, the word was used to describe European settlers who settled in the Cape Colony from the late 17th century onwards. Since then, more people have adopted the surname, with it being spelled either Boer, Boers, or Boersema.
A post-18th century Scottish spelling variant of the Boer surname is the Bowyer or Boure. Other spellings such as Boore, Borough, Bour and bourne are also seen in Scotland. Similarly, the Polish variant of the surname is Bory, and is also seen written as Bur, Bor, Borowski and Borecki.
Famous people with the name Boer
- Barry Boer: Dutch Politician
- Willem Frederik Boer: Dutch Poet
- Jelle Boer: Dutch Animator
- Joost Boer: Dutch Vice Admiral
- Klaas Boer: Dutch Screenwriter
- David Boer: Dutch Footballer
- Daughter of Dutch actor, Erik van der Boer: Dutch Centre-Left Politician
- Wil Boer: Dutch Personal Trainer and Entrepreneur
- Ruben Boer: Dutch Professional Snowboarder
- Henk Boer: Dutch Entrepreneur
- Alexander Boer: Dutch American Soccer Player
- Gorjan Boer: Slovene Basketball Player
- Esther van der Boer: Dutch Footballer
- Jan Boer: Dutch Singer
- Evelien Boer: Dutch Actress
- Mats Boer: Dutch Footballer
- Paul Boer: Dutch Rowboat Racer
- Hilko Boer: Dutch-American Businessman
- Ewald Boer: Dutch Architect
- Jasper Boer: Dutch Investor and Entrepreneur