Show ContentsBollen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In its ancient Gaelic form, the Irish name Bollen was written Ó Beollain, formed from a Norse personal name. 1

Early Origins of the Bollen family

The surname Bollen was first found in counties Clare and Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they held a family seat.

Early History of the Bollen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bollen research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the year 1014 is included under the topic Early Bollen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bollen Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, scribes listened to a person's name and then decided the spelling from there. Names, therefore, often had many spelling variations. The variations of the name Bollen include: Boland, Bolan, Boland, O'Boland, O'Bolan, Bolend, Bolen, Bolland, Bollan, Bollend, Bollen, Bowland, Bowlan, Bowlin, Boulland, Bollander, Bolander, Bollinder, Bolinder, Bollendar, Bolendar, Bollandar, Bowlander, Boulander, Bouland and many more.

Early Notables of the Bollen family

More information is included under the topic Early Bollen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bollen migration to the United States +

Irish immigrants began to leave the English-controlled Ireland in sizable numbers during the late 18th century. Many of these Irish immigrated to British North America or the United States in the hopes of gaining their own tract of farmland. This pattern of migration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine caused a great exodus of immigrants to North America. These immigrants differed from their predecessors in that they were desperately fleeing the disease and starvation that plagued their homeland, and many were entirely destitute when they arrived in North America. Although these penniless immigrants were not warmly welcomed when they arrived, they were critical to the rapid development of the United States and what would become known as Canada. Many went to populate the western frontiers and others provided the cheap labor the new manufacturing sector and the building of bridges, roads, railways, and canals required. A thorough examination of immigration and passenger lists has revealed some of the earliest people to arrive in North America with name Bollen or one of its variants:

Bollen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Bollen, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 2
Bollen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Conrath Bollen, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 2
  • Maria Elisabetha Bollen, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748
  • Maria Elisabctha Bollen, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1748 2
Bollen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Frans Bollen, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
  • Johan Bollen, aged 21, who landed in America, in 1892
  • Martin Bollen, aged 18, who settled in America, in 1892
Bollen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Henry Bollen, who settled in America, in 1904
  • Samuel Bollen, aged 32, who landed in America from Pontypridd, Wales, in 1907
  • Stanley Bollen, aged 5, who immigrated to the United States from Pontypridd, Wales, in 1911
  • Russell Bollen, aged 3, who immigrated to America from Pontypridd, Wales, in 1911
  • Mary L. Bollen, aged 14, who immigrated to the United States from Pontypridd, Wales, in 1911
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bollen (post 1700) +

  • Christopher Bollen (b. 1975), American novelist, journalist, and editor
  • Clemens Bollen (b. 1948), German politician and member of the SPD

Mount Mulligan Mine
  • Herbert Bollen, Australian coal miner who was killed in the Mount Mulligan Mine explosion in 1921


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  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)


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