Show ContentsBoeall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish surname Boeall comes from the Irish Gaelic Ó Baoighill, possibly derived from the earlier Irish word "baigell," which meant "having profitable pledges." 1

Early Origins of the Boeall family

The surname Boeall was first found in Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they were descended from King Maoldun Baoghal (meaning "peril") of the Heremon line of Irish Kings. 2

Early History of the Boeall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boeall research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1078, 1164, 1296, 1566, 1574, 1588, 1607, 1609, 1612, 1617, 1621, 1623, 1639, 1643, 1644, 1646, 1667, 1679, 1682, 1687, 1694, 1698, 1699 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Boeall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boeall Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name Boeall revealed many variations, including Boyle, O'Boyle, Boghill, Hill, Boile, Baoghal, Baole and many more.

Early Notables of the Boeall family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, (1566-1643), an English settler in Ireland; The Lady Alice Boyle, Countess of Barrymore, (1607-1667) was the eldest daughter and second child of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork; Richard Boyle (c.1574-1644), Archbishop of Tuam; Michael Boyle, the younger (1609?-1702), Archbishop of Armagh; Roger Boyle (1617?-1687), an Irish Protestant churchman, Bishop of Down and Connor and...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boeall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boeall family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Boeall or a variant listed above, including: Benjamin Boyle who settled in New Hampshire in 1718; Christopher Boyle settled in Virginia in 1645; Bernard, Charles, Daniel, Dennis, Edward, Francis, Hugh, James, John, Joseph, Michael, Patrick, Richard, Robert, Thomas and William Boyle, all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1820 and 1860. In Newfoundland, Joanna Boyle was married in St. John's in 1832.



  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)


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