Larchier

Recorded as Larcer, Larcier, Larciere, Larcher, Larchez, Larchier, Larchiere, and possibly others, this is a surname of French origins of which it has two. The first is occupational and medieval and would have described well known archer who was probably either a soldier or a hunter, although it is also possible that it described a maker of archery bows. Secondly it could have been residential, and to have described a person who lived by an arch, possibly a Roman arch, or more likely the gate of a town or city. Occupational surnames were amongst the first to created, but they usually only became hereditary, if a son or possibly a grandson, followed the father into the same line of business. Unfortunately the majority of early French register recordings were destroyed during the famous Revolution of 1792. This was at a time when the Catholic Church itself was totally banned throughout France until restored by Napoleon in 1802. However we have been in luck with this name, and early examples of recordings include: Josephe Larchiere and his wife Francoise at Malaincourt, Vosges, on February 13th 1704, and Jean Marie Deschamps Larciere, at Givet, in the Ardennes, on December 10th 1823.