Bowyer
An occupational surname for a maker of bows, especially for archery.
The #8,019 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,811 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bowyer comes from Middle English bowyer, ‘a maker of bows,’ formed from bow plus the agent suffix -yer/-er. The occupation is older still, going back to Old English words for a bow-maker or bow-man. It is closely related to other archery surnames such as Archer, Bowman, and Bowmaker.
History
The name appears in medieval records as an occupational byname and was clearly established in England by the Middle Ages. Bardsley notes that the spelling with -yer is an intrusive later form, analogous to Sawyer and Lawyer. Lower also remarks that a Bowyer’s Company still existed in London, showing the craft’s long-standing recognition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older English records, the related Latin occupational form arcuarius was used for a bowyer, especially in legal and documentary Latin.
From the historical record
“Bowcher. BOWYER. A maker of bows for ar- chery. A Bowyer's Company still exists in London. BOX. A place in co. Wilts, remarkable in modern times for its long railway tunnel. BOXALL, BOXELL. This name is clearly traced to Boxhulle, an ancient manor in Salehurst, co. Sussex, among whose lords was Alan de B., one of the”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom