Show ContentsBogle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The forefathers of the Bogle family were Viking settlers who came to Scotland in the Middle Ages. Many places were named by these Norsemen, and the Bogle surname was taken on from one of these place names, when someone lived at Bowgyhill, in Monkland, in Lanarkshire. One reference lists the name as a nickname, but this is highly unlikely.

Early Origins of the Bogle family

The surname Bogle was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Bogle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bogle research. Another 199 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1487, 1510 and 1520 are included under the topic Early Bogle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bogle Spelling Variations

Sound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Bogle include Bogle, Bogill, Bogyll, Bogell, Bogil, Boagle, Boagill, Boagell, Boghill, Bogall, Bogale, Bogille, Bogylle, Bogel, Bogehill and many more.

Early Notables of the Bogle family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Bogle of Lanarkshire

Bogle Ranking

In the United States, the name Bogle is the 5,316th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]


United States Bogle migration to the United States +

In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Bogle or a variant listed above:

Bogle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Robert Bogle who settled in Grenada in 1774
Bogle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Lachlan Bogle, who arrived in America in 1804 [2]
  • James Bogle, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1812 [2]
  • Samuel Bogle, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 [2]
  • Isabella Bogle, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 [2]
  • John Bogle, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Bogle migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bogle Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. William Bogle U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1783 [3]

Australia Bogle migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bogle Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Archibald Bogle, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Egyptian" on 5th April 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [4]
  • Bernard Bogle, aged 25, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Sumner"

New Zealand Bogle migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bogle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Bogle, aged 26, a housemaid, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Queen of the North" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Bogle (post 1700) +

  • John C "Jack" Bogle (1929-2019), American executive, inventor of the index mutual fund, founder and CEO of The Vanguard Group
  • James Michael "Mike" Bogle (b. 1961), American trombonist, pianist, vocalist, composer, and arranger
  • Robert Lenard "Bob" Bogle (1934-2009), American founding member of the instrumental combo The Ventures who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • Donald Bogle, American film historian and author
  • Phil Bogle (b. 1979), American NFL football guard
  • Joseph M. Bogle, American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Iredell County, 1828-31, 1850-51; Member of North Carolina State Senate 45th District, 1844-47 [5]
  • Horace R. Bogle, American politician, Mayor of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, 1932-41 [5]
  • Edra Bogle, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State Board of Education 14th District, 2008 [5]
  • George Bogle (1746-1781), Scottish diplomat, youngest son of George Bogle, of Daldowie, near Bothwell, Lanarkshire, the first to establish diplomatic relations with Tibet [6]
  • John Bogle (1746-1803), Scottish miniature painter
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Bogle Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Et labore dulcedo
Motto Translation: Both sweetness and work


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/egyptian
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019


Houseofnames.com on Facebook