French language
French ( or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-R ...
word meaning "swineherd" (from
Old French
Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th
metonymic
Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something associated with that thing or concept. For example, the word "suit" may refer to a person from groups commonly wearing business attire, such as salespe ...
surname is derived.Reaney, Percy Hide & Wilson, Richard Middlewood. A Dictionary of English Surnames. ' (Routledge, 1991), p. 358. Variants of the surname include Le Porcher, Porchier, Porquier, Porquiez, Pourcher, Pourchaire, Porchet, Porchel, Porchat and Pourchet; and also diminutive forms Porcheray, Porcheret, Porcherot and Porcherel.
People with the name
* Frances Porcher (1853–1935), American writer and journalist
*Francis Peyre Porcher, A medical figure from the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
* Frederick Adolphus Porcher (1909–1888), American politician and educator
* (1814–1877), German sculptor and painter
* (1860–1936), Prussian district administrator
* George Du Pré Porcher (c. 1823–1876), English cricketer and barrister
* (1753–1824), count of Richebourg, French physician and politician
* (1892-1966), French historian
* (born 1956), French sociologist and zootechnician
*
Josias Porcher
Josias Du Pré Porcher (''ca.'' 1761 – 4 May 1820) was an English politician. After following his uncle into the service of the British East India Company, he became wealthy and returned to England, although he was frustrated in an attempt to o ...
(c. 1761–1820), English politician
* (1940–2014), French sociologist
* (born 1947), French lawyer and politician
* (born 1992), French cyclist
* Mazÿck Porcher Ravenel (1862–1946), American physician and professor
*
Robert Porcher
Robert Porcher III (; born July 30, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina State Bulldogs ...
Thomas Porcher Stoney
Thomas Porcher Stoney was the fifty-third mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, serving between 1923 and 1931.
Stoney was born at Medway Plantation on December 16, 1889, in rural Berkeley County, South Carolina to Samuel Stoney and Eliza Croft ...
(1889–1973), American politician
*
William Porcher Miles
William Porcher Miles (July 4, 1822 – May 11, 1899) was an American politician who was among the ardent states' rights advocates, supporters of slavery, and Southern secessionists who came to be known as the " Fire-Eaters." He is notable for ...
(1822–1899), American politician
*
William Porcher DuBose
William Porcher DuBose (April 11, 1836 – August 18, 1918) was an American priest, author, and theologian in the Episcopal Church in the United States. After service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, in which he beca ...
(1836–1918), American priest and theologian
See also
*
Porcarius Porcarius ( or ''Porchaire'') is the Latin word for "swineherd" and was occasionally used as a masculine given name in the early Middle Ages. Since ''porcarii'' were often slaves, "only elite couples amed their children Porcarius and they probab ...