Bouchare History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The name Bouchare was formed many centuries ago in France during the Dark Ages. It was a Norman name typically given to a the Norman given name Bucchard.

Early Origins of the Bouchare family

The surname Bouchare was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family held a family seat since ancient times.

During the Middle Ages the diverse branches of the family distinguished themselves through their remarkable accomplishments and received grants of lands, titles and letters patent confirming their nobility and that of future generations. Many members appeared in the records of 1209. In recognition of his dedicated and valuable services in his community in which he lived, Pierre Bouchard was granted the title of Lord of Cornefou in 1301.

Many other members were actively involved in the social and public affairs of their region and served their country and fellowman in leading positions: as sénéchal of Angoumois and Bishop of Périgueux in the 1500's and as a Governor of Périgord in the 16th century. And because of their fame several French provinces are proud to have been the ancestral seat for such a family.

Claude Bouchard, born in 1626, son of Claude and Marie (née Fremon), was a doctor that travelled from Picardie, France to Quebec in the 17th century. He married Marguerite Benard on 20th November 1651 and together they had two sons, Jean and Paul-Claude. 1

Early History of the Bouchare family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bouchare research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1619, 1622, 1635, 1645, 1646, 1653, 1662, 1667, 1676, 1686, 1702, 1720, 1730 and 1794 are included under the topic Early Bouchare History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bouchare Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Bouchare is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Bouchard, Bouchar, Boucharde, Bouchart, Boucharte, Bouchare, Bouchars, Boucharre, Buchard, Buchar, Bucharde, Buchart, Bucharte, Buchare, Buchars, Boucchard, Boucchar, Bouccharde, Boucchart, Bouccharte, Boucchare, Boucchars, Boucharse, Boucherd, Boucherde, Boucherte and many more.

Early Notables of the Bouchare family

Notable amongst the family in this period was Pierre Bouchard, Lord of Cornefou; and Étienne Bouchard (c. 1622 - 1676), a French surgeon who came to Ville-Marie (Montreal) in 1653 under the sponsorship of the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal.Samuel Bochart (1599-1667) was a French Protestant biblical scholar, a student of Thomas Erpenius and the teacher of Pierre Daniel Huet. Born in Rouen, he was for many years a pastor of a Protestant church at Caen, and also studied in Oxford, where he was tutor to Wentworth Dillon, later Earl of Roscommon. His two-volume Geographia Sacra seu Phaleg et Canaan (Caen 1646)...
Another 109 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bouchare Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bouchare family

France was active as a cultural leader in the early 16th century. One particular area in which they lead was the exploration of the New World. The explorers, like Jacques Cartier in 1534, led the way to North America. Champlain, in 1608, made the first of twenty voyages to France to attract settlers and brought the first migrant in 1617. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec, and the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Bouchare has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bouchare were Mrs. Bouchard settled in Louisiana in 1721; Michel Bouchard from Antille-le-Marois, France, settled in Québec in 1700; Jean-Baptiste Bouchard settled with his brother, Jean, in Qué.

The Bouchare Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fais honneur
Motto Translation: Do honor

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print