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Boer Family History

Boer Name Meaning

Dutch and North German: occupational name for a farmer or landsman from Dutch boer Middle Low German būr ‘dweller citizen neighbor farmer’ (see Bauer ). Compare De Boer and Den Boer .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Beer, Baer, Boger, Bier, Boker, Boner, Boe, Borer, Bower, Mohr

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Boer family from?

You can see how Boer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Boer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Boer families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 2 Boer families living in Ohio. This was about 67% of all the recorded Boer's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Boer families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Boer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Boer ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Boer. 27% of Boer men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Boer women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Boer were Farm Laborer and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Boer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Farm Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    12%
  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Housewife
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Boer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Boer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Boer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Boer

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Boer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Boer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Boer. For the veterans among your Boer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Boer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Boer family history

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What is the average Boer lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Boer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Boer in 1960 was 40, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Boer

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Boer family tree

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