First found in Ayrshire, where the first record of the name is of Dominus Robertus de Boyd, who witnessed a contract in Irvine, Ayrshire, in 1205. The earliest Boyds were said to be vassals of the De Morevilles in the regality of Largs, and may have originally come north with them from England. Family lore suggests that the surname descends from the family of Walter Fitz Alan, scion of Royal Stewarts of Scotland, who moved his family north to Scotland, became the 1st High Steward of Scotland (c.1150-1177) and held lands in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. He had a son Simon, who had a son named Robert, who was blond; the Gaelic for which is "buidhe." Records show that a Robert Boyd was a hero at the Battle of Largs in 1263. The Boyds built Kilmarnock Castle (renamed Dean Castle, in 1700) in Ayr, and it was the primary seat of the Boyd family for over 400 years. Perhaps the aforementioned Robert de Boyt, a tenant in Ayrshire rendered homage to to English King Edward I in 1296, and was later taken prisoner, in 1306, while assisting Robert the Bruce in the latter's successful attempt to gain control of Scotland. His brother Duncan Boyd was hanged in that same year for his support of Robert the Bruce. A descendant of this Robert Boyd was made Sir Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd in 1454. Lord Boyd became Regent of Scotland for the infant King James III in 1460. In 1468, Boyd negotiated the marriage between the young king James III, and the daughter of the King of Norway and Denmark, thus acquiring control of the Shetland Isles and the Orkneys for Scotland. He was appointed Great Chamberlain for life and Lord Justice General in 1467. But, Lord Boyd fell out of favor with the Royal James family, was found guilty of treason, and fled to Alnwick, Northumberland.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Alexander Boyd who settled in New England in 1748; Peter Boyd who settled in Conception Bay, Newfoundland in 1706; and John Boyd who settled in St. John's Newfoundland in 1822..

Motto Translated: I confide .

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