Surname Squier - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'S'
Squier: What does the surname Squier mean?
The surname Squier is of patronymic origin, derived from the Middle English and Old French term "esquier," which means a squire or a young nobleman. Squiers were usually in service to knights, acting as a shield bearer or armor bearer, and they were often being trained for knighthood. Therefore, the surname Squier could have originally been used to denote someone who was a squire by profession or who could have acted like a squire. Surnames during ancient times usually denoted a person's occupation, characteristics, location, or descendant. The frequency of the Squier surname was higher in England, being traced back to Yorkshire where they held a family seat. The spelling variations of this surname included Squire, Squair, Skuyer, Squires, and others. Over time, the surname has spread in different countries with slight variations in spelling depending on cultures and languages.
Order DNA origin analysisSquier: Where does the name Squier come from?
The surname Squier is thought to be derived from the French surname Esquié, which is the French spelling of “squire”. The surname is most commonly found in the United States, although it can also be found in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. In the United States, the Squier name is strongest in the states of Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
In the 2019 American Community Survey, it was estimated that there were about 9,209 individuals with the last name Squier living in the United States. In comparison, the Esquiér name had a slightly higher estimated number of 11,105 individuals with the last name.
The highest density of individuals with the Squier surname is in Norwood, Massachusetts. Other areas with a higher than average number of Squiers include the towns of Pawtuxet, Rhode Island; Rehoboth, Massachusetts; Glastonbury, Connecticut; and Pawcatuck, Connecticut.
The Squier surname has been traced back to the late 1600s in the New England states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. It first appeared in the United States Census in 1790 in Massachusetts. Over the years, the Squier name has been somewhat common in some New England towns, but it has spread throughout the United States. The Squier name is also found in places such as Europe, Asia, and South America.
Variations of the surname Squier
The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Squier are Squire, Esquire, Skwier, Skiear, Squyar, Squiar, Squirer, Squyres, Squires, Skyre, Squierres, Skweer, Skwyer, Skwiers, Skwyre, Skwyres, Squyers, Squyairs, Squyers, Squyers, Skwyers, Squyres, Squyers, Squyers, Squiers, Skweirs, Squierz, Schwyer, Schwiers, Schwier, Schwer, Squery, Skwery, Schwierz, Schwyers, Skwyerz, Schwiyer, Skweyer, Skwyere, Skwyrez, Snider, and Schneider.
The Squier surname is of English and French origin. It is derived from the Old French "esquier," which means "shield bearer" or "protector." Variant spellings of the name include Squire, Squyres, Skwier, and Skwyres. Variations of the name in France were pronounced "snayyer" and "skeeyer."
In France, the name Squier was associated with nobility because the word "esquier" was derived from the Latin word "scutia," meaning "shield." In England, nobility was associated with having more land and greater wealth, and the word "squire" evolved from landholder to become the title of a country gentleman.
The surnames Squyar, Squiar, Squirer, Squyers, Squiers, Squierz, Sweyer, Schwyer, Schwiers, Schwierz, Schwiyer, Skweyer, Skwyere, Skwyrez, Snider, and Schneider are all variants of the same origin surname, Squier. These surnames either evolved from a particular geographical region or were instilled by immigrants from other countries who settled in a particular area.
Famous people with the name Squier
- Billy Squier: an American rock musician most well-known for his 1981 hit single "The Stroke"
- John C. Squier: an American businessman and entrepreneur who founded Squier Brass and Copper Company, a manufacturer of wire and cable products
- David Squier: a musician, producer, and recording engineer, known for his work with Aerosmith, Yes, Moby, and Jeff Beck
- Samuel Brown Squier: an American photographer and artist born in 1856
- Nelson Squier: an explorer and writer born in Ohio in 1839
- William Squier: an American physicist and electrical engineer, famous for contributing to the development of television
- Frank Squier: a violinist active during the late 19th century
- Vincent Squier: an American architect born in 1871
- George H. Squier: an American Army field officer and major general during the American Civil War
- Charles B. Squier: an American ornithologist, best known for his studies on the Hooded Warbler and other birds