This interesting name has three possible origins, the first is an anglicized variant of the Olde French 'Pohier' - a medieval locational word meaning 'the man from Picardy'. The second is from the Olde French 'Pouvre' - a sardonic nickname for a poor man, but probably referring to the opposite! The third is also French 'Poer' and means 'power' - again a nickname surname, and one found in the Munster Province of Ireland. The many spellings include Poor, Poore, Powers, Poher, Puiher etc. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter le Poher. which was dated 1162 The Pipe Rolls of Lincoln. during the reign of King Henry 11 The Builder 1154 - 1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.