BELCHER
Belcher is a surname of both English and French origin, traditionally classified as an occupational or descriptive nickname. It is recorded throughout the British Isles and appears in early English documents with a spelling that has remained largely unchanged since the early thirteenth century.
The name is commonly interpreted as deriving from the Old French phrase bel chiere, literally meaning “beautiful face” or “fair countenance”. This etymology suggests that the surname was originally a nickname given to a person of attractive appearance or good looks, honouring the medieval tradition of adopting laudatory epithets.
Another possible source is the Middle English word belcher, which described a person who often belched loudly. In this sense the surname would have been a descriptive nickname indicating a loud speech or bodily habit, a less flattering but historically documented derivation.
Early documentary attestations of the name include a witness named Thomas Belcher recorded in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219, and a subsequent 1275 mention of Richard Belecher in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire. In 1453 a reference to Alexander Belcher appears in the Feet of Fines of Essex, confirming the family's continued presence in southern England.
Variants of the surname have appeared in modern usage, including Belsher, Belshaw, Beuscher, Beaushaw, Bewshire, Bewshaw, Bewshea, Beushaw and Bowsher. The name is one of the few surnames that has retained its original spelling across the centuries, a feature highlighted by its appearance in the York Cycle of Medieval Mystery Plays where it is used as a term of address, sometimes with a derogatory tone.
In the early eighteenth century, Jonathan Belcher (1682‑1757) served as governor of the Massachusetts Colony from 1729 to 1741 and was a founder of Princeton University. He is a notable descendant of Andrew Belcher, a merchant who emigrated from England to New England in 1654 and died in 1717. Andrew's substantial fortune and social standing contributed to the prominence of the family in colonial America.
Typical given names associated with the Belcher surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Joan
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Belshaw
- Belsher
- Belch
- Balcher
- Belchar
- Ballcher
- Blecher
- Belche
- Belchere
- Belchem
- Belchers
- Belches
- Belchier
- Belchior
- Belchor
- Belecher
- Bellcher
- Beltcher
- Bilcher
- Blacher
- Blachere
- Bleacher
- Bleicher
- Bletcher
- Boulcher
- Bulcher
- Belchetz
- Belchev
- Belcheva
- Belchey
- Belchez
- Belshar
- Blachear
- Blatcher
- Blocher
- Blucher
- Belchamber
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Belcher in...
Braille
⠃⠑⠇⠉⠓⠑⠗
Morse
-.....-..-.-.......-.
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Belcher are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Chocolate malted milk biscuit.
There are approximately 7,282 people named Belcher in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,283rd most common surname in Britain. Around 112 in a million people in Britain are named Belcher.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Belcher
- Laurence Belcher - Actor
- Douglas Walter Belcher - Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1889 to 1953)
- Simon Belcher - Racing driver
- Jimmy Belcher - Football player
- James Belcher - Boxer (1781 to 1811)
- Samuel Belcher - Cricketer (1834 to 1920)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.