BORE
Bore is a surname of English origin. It is recorded in a variety of spellings, including Bore, Boar, Boor and the very rare Bor.
The source of the name is not tied to any modern association with a South‑African Dutchman or to everyday dullness. Instead it derives from either a medieval nickname or a topographic reference. In the former case it may have been applied to a person who displayed boar-like qualities such as strength or fierceness; in the latter, it would have identified someone living near a natural feature described in Old English as a bore, meaning a tidal wave or strong current. The name can also be a variant spelling of Boar, which shares similar linguistic roots.
Historical records show that the name evolves with local dialects and the broader changes in the English language. The earliest documented bearer appears as Aelimar Bar of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk in the year 1095, followed by Godwin Bar of Winton in Hampshire in 1148. By the late 13th and early 14th centuries the surname is seen in forms such as Robert le Bor of Berkshire (1287) and John le Boor of Devon (1312).
Locationally, the surname may also be tied to villages bearing the name of a boar, such as Boar Bank in Lancashire, Boarhunt in Hampshire and Boars Isle in Kent. Despite the powerful image of the boar, there is no evidence that references the Great Boar of the River Severn in the West Country.
In modern usage the surname remains uncommon, and it continues to appear in a range of spellings that reflect its historical fluidity. Its persistence as a family name is a testament to the enduring nature of medieval nomenclature within the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Bore surname
Male
- Alan
- Christopher
- Clifford
- David
- Glenn
- James
- John
- Mark
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Gina
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Janet
- Karen
- Larisa
- Lisa
- Patricia
- Sandra
- Sharon
- Valerie
Similar and related surnames
- Bahr
- Bahre
- Bair
- Baire
- Bar
- Bare
- Barea
- Baree
- Barei
- Bares
- Barez
- Barr
- Barre
- Bear
- Beare
- Beer
- Beere
- Behr
- Behre
- Beir
- Beire
- Beor
- Ber
- Bere
- Beres
- Berr
- Berre
- Beure
- Biar
- Bier
- Bior
- Bir
- Bire
- Bires
- Birr
- Birre
- Boar
- Boare
- Boari
- Boor
- Bor
- Bora
- Borea
- Boree
- Borek
- Bores
- Boret
- Borey
- Borgh
- Bori
- Borie
- Boro
- Borr
- Borre
- Bors
- Bory
- Borz
- Bour
- Boura
- Boure
- Boureau
- Bourey
- Bouri
- Bourre
- Bours
- Bower
- Bowers
- Bur
- Bure
- Burea
- Buree
- Burei
- Bures
- Burr
- Burre
- Bahra
- Barree
- Berrie
- Boer
- Borel
- Boren
- Borer
- Borg
- Borges
- Borke
- Borne
- Borrie
- Bourke
- Broe
- Byer
- Byers
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bore in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 458 people named Bore in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around seven in a million people in Britain are named Bore.
Famous people named Bore
- Peter Bore - Football player
- Michael Bore - County cricketer (1947 to 2017)
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.