Belcher
A surname most likely from a French nickname meaning “good cheer” or “fine manners.”
The #1,243 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,902 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The best-known explanation derives Belcher from an Old French phrase written as "belle chere" or "bel chere," meaning "good cheer," "good looks," or more broadly "pleasant manner." In medieval English, such French courtly nicknames often became inherited surnames. The name may also have been influenced by similar French forms used as terms of courtesy or friendly address.
History
The surname is found in England and later in North America, where it became established as an ordinary hereditary family name. 19th-century surname writers linked it with other French-derived courtesy names such as Bellamy and Bonamy. The spelling has remained fairly stable, though older sources sometimes explain it in slightly different French forms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books grouped Belcher with a cluster of polite-sounding French nicknames like Bellamy, Bonamy, and Beaufrere.
From the historical record
“hamlet near Morpeth. BELCHER. O Fr. hd chere, good com- . iMny. So Boncompagnon, and our o^vn Goodfellow, &c. BELCOMBE. A recent refinement upon Bulcock, properly Boulcott, a local name. BELCmiBER. Belencombre In the ar- rondissemeut of Dieppe in Normandy. De Belecumbr', De Belencumbr', &c. H.R. BELDAM. "A woman…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom