Boke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Scottish annals reveal that the Boke surname came from a place name in Scotland, named with Viking elements. The name was no doubt taken on when they lived in a place noted for the presence of a ridge that formed a boundary between two distinct areas. It comes from a variant of the word boak or balk, of the same meaning. While historians generally agree upon the aforementioned topographical derivation, most believe that this name actually came from the area called Boak in the parish of Kirkholm. 1

Another source claims the name is "probably a variant of boak, a northern form of balk, a ridge (as a boundary.)" (Weekley)

Early Origins of the Boke family

The surname Boke was first found in Boak in the parish of Kirkcolm, Dumfries and Galloway, part of the former county of Wigtownshire. Early entries for the family are relatively rare as we must look to the 16th century to find the first recorded entry, that of Andrew Boog who witnessed instrument of sasine in 1550. David Book was a merchant in Edinburgh, 1610 and Thomas Baok was a merchant burgess of Stirling in 1622. 1

Early History of the Boke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boke research. Another 321 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1523, 1546, 1576, 1595, 1605, 1613, 1626, 1629, 1632, 1636, 1643, 1652, 1664, 1666, 1668, 1683, 1685, 1688, 1697, 1709, 1775, 1786, 1793, 1797, 1812, 1863 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Boke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boke Spelling Variations

Spelling variations are extremely common among Scottish names dating from this era because the arts of spelling and translation were not yet standardized. Spelling was done by sound, and translation from Gaelic to English was generally quite careless. In different records, Boke has been spelled Boag, Boig, Book, Boack, Boge, Bogue, Boak, Bouk, Bouck, Bogues, Bogg, Boggs and many more.

Early Notables of the Boke family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Boag (1775-1863), Scottish compiler of the ‘Imperial Lexicon,’ born at Highgate in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire, on 7 Jan. 1775. He matriculated at the university of Glasgow in 1797, and completed his academical course with a view to taking orders in the church of Scotland, but joined the body of independents or Congregationalists, who in 1812 formed themselves into the...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boke family to Ireland

Some of the Boke family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boke migration to the United States +

Those who made the voyage were greeted with ample opportunity to acquire land and a political climate far away from the oppressive monarchy of the old country. They settled along the east coast of what would become Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence, those who remained loyal to England traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In this century, many Scots living in North America have begun to recover their rich heritage through festivals, highland games, and Clan societies. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Boke:

Boke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Boke, who landed in Virginia in 1663 2

Boke Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Boke, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 2

Boke Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sohn Boke, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 2
August Boke, who landed in Iowa in 1875 2

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)