Explore the Family Name Voyer

The meaning of Voyer

French: status name and occupational name from Old French voier, a word of the same meaning and origin as viguier ‘seigniorial or royal officer responsible for administering justice and collecting state rights’ (see Viger), but also used more narrowly for an officer responsible for public roads and police. History: Jacques Voyer dit Le Jardinier from Aubigny in Vendée, France, married Jeanne Routhier in Quebec City, QC, in 1683. Étienne Voyer from Angers in Maine-et-Loire, France, married Marie-Madeleine Dupont in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, QC, in 1750. Some characteristic forenames: French Emile, Gaetan, Gilles, Jacques, Jean-Paul, Julien, Marcel, Rosaire, Viateur.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Voyer in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Voyer has seen a modest increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 44,430th overall and climbed to rank 43,811th by 2010 – a positive change of approximately 1.39%. Additionally, the number of people carrying the Voyer name increased from 456 in 2000 to 492 in 2010, representing a growth of about 7.89%. Despite these changes, the proportion of Voyers per 100,000 people remained steady at 0.17 during both census years.

20002010Change
Rank#44,430#43,8111.39%
Count4564927.89%
Proportion per 100k0.170.170%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Voyer

On the topic of ethnic identity, the same U.S. Census data shows some movement within the Voyer surname bearers. While those identifying as White made up the bulk of Voyers at 95.39% in 2000, this percentage slightly dropped to 92.28% by 2010. Conversely, those identifying as Hispanic saw significant growth, increasing from 1.97% in 2000 to 4.67% in 2010 — an impressive 137.06% change. The portion of Voyers identifying as Black also saw a minor increase from 1.54% to 1.63% over the decade. There were no recorded changes among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White95.39%92.28%-3.26%
Hispanic1.97%4.67%137.06%
Black1.54%1.63%5.84%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%