What nationality is the surname "Tahier"?

Question:

What nationality is the surname "Tahier"?

It is the last name of my indonesian friend, but I thought there was a castle in France called Tahier? Anyone know the origin of the name?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Tahier as a French surname comes from an Old French word meaning 'swamp, marsh', and was given to someone who lived near one.

As for how an Indonesian family could acquire a French name, they did only declare their independence from the Netherlands what, fifty years ago? The Netherlands is next door to Belgium, which has French as one of its official languages...