Borer

Recorded as Borer and Boarer, this is a medieval English surname. It is occupational, and derives it is said, from the pre 7th century Olde English word "borian", itself associated with the Olde Norse word "bora", and as such it describes some one who worked with tools for boring holes in stone or wood, and later iron. The name may also have described a tunneler, since this was an art which went back to the most ancient times in pre recorded history. Occupational surnames were originally not hereditary. They only became so when a son or possibly a grandson, followed the father into the same work or profession. Where a son had a different occupation to his father, he was often known by both jobs as in the Freeman lists of the city of York where in 1331 one Thomas was known as Thomas le Hosteler Mariner and another as Adam Fetheler Mercer! In this case the earliest known recordings are those of Robert le Boriere in the Letter Books of London in 1318, and slightly later that of Hugo le Borer of Lincoln in 1332.