Contents [hide]

Boucher History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies South Africa

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Boucher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Etymology of Boucher

What does the name Boucher mean?

The surname Boucher is a name that evolved during the medieval era in the French region of Champagne. It was originally a name for a person who worked as a butcher. Originally the name Boucher was derived from the Old French word "bochier," which translates to "butcher."

Early Origins of the Boucher family

The surname Boucher was first found in the town of Chaumont in the department of Haute-Marne in the north-east of France. 1

The name is sometimes seen as Leboucher in the north-west parts of France. Other variations of the name also depend on the region of France where the name is found. Some other variations of the name include, Bouchier, Bouchez (north), Bouchey (east), and Bouquier (south). 2

Marin Boucher, born in 1589, married Julienne Baril on 7th February 1611 at Saint-Jean-de-Mortagne, France. They had eight children together in France. Their son, François, was baptized on 22nd November 1617.

Marin's wife, Julienne, died in France on 15th December 1627 and Marin remarried to Perrine Mallet in 1629. Marin and Perrine had two children in France, Marin (b. 1630) and Jean-Galleran (b. 1633). Marin arrived in Canada on 9th August 1634 along with his wife, Perrine, and six of his children, François, Jean-Galleran, Pierre, Guillaume, Marie, and Madeleine.

François married Florence Gareman, daughter of Pierre and Madeleine (née Charlot), on 3rd September 1641 and Jean-Galleran married Marie Leclerc at Château-Richer, Quebec on 10th October 1661. They had five children together. 3

Early History of the Boucher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boucher research. Another 227 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1304, 1506, 1551, 1622, 1635, 1644, 1670, 1703, 1717, 1770, 1787, 1788, 1789, 1806, 1820, 1844, 1861 and 1868 are included under the topic Early Boucher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boucher Spelling Variations

Throughout the course of history most surnames have undergone changes for many reasons. During the early development of the French language, a son and father may not have chosen to spell their name the same way. Many are simple spelling changes by a person who gave his name, phonetically, to a scribe, priest, or recorder. Many names held prefixes or suffixes which became optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, we have many spelling variations of this name, Boucher some of which are Boucher, Bouche, Bouchez, Bouchais, Bouchay, le Boucher, de Boucher and many more.

Early Notables of the Boucher family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Jean Boucher, Rector of the University and Vicar of St-Benoît, French naturalist; and Pierre Boucher de Boucherville (1622-1717) who went to Canada from France in 1635 with his father; at the age of 1...
Alexandre Jean Boucher, was a well-known French violinist, was born at Paris in 1770. It is related that he played at the court when only six, and at the Concert Spirituel when eight years of age. In...
François Boucher (1703-1770), was a French artist who worked in the rococo style

Boucher World Ranking

In the United States, the name Boucher is the 1,018^th most popular surname with an estimated 29,844 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Boucher is ranked the 47^th most popular surname with an estimated 39,307 people with that name. 5 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Boucher is the 20^th popular surname. 6 France ranks Boucher as 152^nd with 20,869 people. 7

Boucher migration to the United States +

French settlers came early to North American, following in the wake of the explorers, and creating New France. Quebec City, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain is said to have been the first American site founded as a permanent settlement, rather than as just a commercial outpost. But emigration was slow, in 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 French people in Quebec, and by 1663, when the region was officially made The Royal Colony of New France, by Louis XIV, there still only around 500 settlers. Over 2,000 would arrive during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. Youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted immigrants, both noble and commoner from France. By 1675, there were around 7000 French in the colony, and by that same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. Despite the loss of the Colony to England, the French people flourished in Lower Canada. Among settlers to North America of the Boucher surname were

Boucher Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Andrew Boucher, who landed in Virginia in 1650 8
George Boucher, who arrived in Maryland in 1651 8
John Boucher, who landed in Virginia in 1666 8
Adam Boucher, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 8
Ab Boucher, who landed in Maryland in 1676 8

Boucher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jean Boucher, who landed in Jamestown, Va in 1700 8
Elizabeth Boucher, who settled in Rappahannock, Virginia, in 1728
Hans Ulrich Boucher, who settled in Philadelphia in 1732
Ulrigg Boucher, aged 45, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 8
John Boucher, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boucher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Michael Boucher, who arrived in New York, NY in 1806 8
Miss Boucher, aged 30, settled in New Orleans in 1822
Alfred Boucher, who arrived in New York, NY in 1839 8

Boucher migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Boucher Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Gaspard Boucher, who arrived in Quebec in 1634
François Boucher , son of Marin and Julienne, who married Florence Gareman, daughter of Pierre and Charlotte, in Quebec on 3rd September 1641 9
François Boucher, son of Guillaume and Adriane, who married Anne Lépine, daughter of Jacques and Noémie, in Quebec on 21st April 1664 9
Pierre Boucher, son of François and Florence, who married Hélène Gaudry, daughter of Nicolas and Agnès, in Quebec on 13th December 1671 9
Jean Boucher, son of Denis and Jeanne, married Madeleine Paré, daughter of Robert and Françoise, in Saint-Anne, Quebec on 12th November 1678 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boucher Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Alexis Boucher, son of Charles and Marguerite, who married Geneviève Martin, daughter of Yves and Marie, in Berthierville, Quebec on 25th February 1732 9
Prisque Boucher, son of Joseph and Dorothée, who married Josephte Saucier, daughter of Louis and Cécile, in Kamouraska, Quebec on 22nd November 1762 9
Antoinne Boucher, son of Etienne and Margerite, who married Geneviève Baron, daughter of Philippe and Geneviève, in Saint-Antoine, Quebec on 21st January 1771 9
Benjamin Boucher, son of Louis and Madeleine, who married Geneviève Casista-Bachlet, daughter of Pierre and Geneviève, in Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec on 26th January 1778 9

Boucher Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Martin Boucher who was a Seaman aboard the ship "Aberdeen" taking passenger to Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died at Grosse Isle in 1847 in the typhus epidemic 10

Boucher migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Boucher Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Boucher, (b. 1803), aged 16, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1853 11
Thomas Boucher, a waterman, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. John Boucher, (b. 1780), aged 49, English shepherd who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Robert James Boucher, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Buckinghamshire" in 1839 13
Julia Boucher, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Abberton" in 1846 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boucher migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Boucher Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Catherine Boucher, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cresswell" in 1856
Mary Boucher, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cresswell" in 1856
E. Boucher, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wyvern" in 1856
Mr. Dudley Boucher, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lady Jocelyn" arriving in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand on 2nd January 1881, en-route to Auckland, New Zealand 15

Boucher migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16

Boucher Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Jerreard Boucher, who settled in Barbados with his servants in 1680

Boucher Settlers in West Indies in the 20th Century

Mr. William Henry Boucher, (b. 1877), aged 26, Cornish miner, from Carn Brea, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Etruria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th July 1903 en route to Cuba 17

Contemporary Notables of the name Boucher (post 1700) +

Brian Boucher (b. 1977), American professional (NHL) ice hockey goaltender
Joan I. Boucher, American politician, Representative from New Jersey 12th District, 1990 18
Jean Charles Boucher, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Maine State Senate 4th District, 1943-46; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maine, 1944; Member of Maine Democratic State Committee, 1945 18
Hiram A. Boucher (1896-1967), American politician, U.S. Consul in Dublin, 1924-27; Cobh, 1928-29; Rome, 1929-36; Geneva, 1936-41; Auckland, 1941-45; U.S. Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, 1945-47 18
Henry Aristide Boucher (1921-2009), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska, 1966-70; Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, 1970-74 18
George V. Boucher, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1968; Circuit Judge in Michigan 17th Circuit, 1971-85 18
Frederick C. Boucher (b. 1946), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Virginia State Senate 39th District, 1974-83; U.S. Representative from Virginia 9th District, 1983- 18
Edward M. Boucher, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Westport, 1946 18
Drayton R. Boucher, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Louisiana State Senate, 1950; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1956 18
Anthony Boucher, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Columbia County, 1833 18
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
Dauzat, Albert, Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionaire Étymologique des Noms et Prénoms de France. Paris: Librairie Larousse, 1987. Print.
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 62)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Buckinghamshire.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ABBERTON 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Abberton.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html