Origin and Meaning of the Last Name Boyle

Origin and Meaning of the Last Name Boyle A variant of OBOYLE, from the Irish Ó BAOGHILL. Of uncertain derivation, but the Boyle last name is considered by most to be connected to the Irish geall, meaning pledge or vain pledge, or thought to mean having profitable pledges. The OBoyles were chieftains in Donegal, ruling west Ulster with the ODonnells and the ODoughertys. Boyles can also be found in Kildare and Offaly. BOYLE is one of 50 common Irish surnames of modern Ireland, as well as the 84th most popular last name in Scotland. Surname Origin:  Irish, Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings:  BOYLES, O BOYLE, O BAOIGHILL, O BAOILL Clan Boyle: Clan Boyle in Scotland originated with Anglo-Norman knights bearing the de Beauville or, more commonly,  de Boyville name  from Beauville, near Caen. They are believed to have arrived in Scotland after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. There is a record of a David de Boivil witnessing a charter as early as 1164. Originally, the name was confined to the south-west of Scotland where it was pronounced bowl. The surname spelling also changed over time, with the shortened variant  Boyll appearing in 1367 and Boyle in 1482. The land surrounding Kelburn Castle in Ayrshire has been the home of Clan Boyle since the 13th century and is currently occupied by the 10th Earl of Glasgow, Patrick Robin Archibald Boyle.  The Boyle clan motto is Dominus provedebit which means God will provide. A branch of the Boyles from Kelburn became established in Ireland and eventually became the Earls of Cork.  Richard Boyle (1566–1643), the 1st Earl of Cork, was Lord Treasurer of the Kingdom of Ireland. Famous People with the BOYLE Last Name: Robert Boyle - Irish born scientist, and 7th son of Richard Boyle, Earl of CorkT.C. Boyle - American writer and novelistWillard S. Boyle – Canadian physicistSusan Boyle - Scottish born singer made famous by Britains Got Talent Genealogy Resources for the BOYLE Last Name: Family Boyle Surname DNA ProjectThis free project uses results from Y-DNA testing to map individuals with the Boyle surname into different branches of the Boyle family tree. Joining the project entitles you to a discount on DNA testing. Boyle Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Boyle last name to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Boyle surname query. DistantCousin.com - BOYLE Genealogy Family HistoryExplore links to databases and genealogical resources for the Boyle last name. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name MeaningsCant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. Sources Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.