Boller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Belgium
England
Germany
Ireland

The history of the Boller family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Lancashire. The name, however, is a reference to the family's former residence in Boulard, in Calvados, in Normandy. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been an occupational name for a "bowl-maker," someone who made bowls. 2

Early Origins of the Boller family

The surname Boller was first found in Lancashire. They were originally from Boulard in Calvados, Normandy, and arrived in England with Duke William of Normandy at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Stephen de Boularia in 1096, witnessed a charter of Manasses, Bishop of Cambrai, and joined in the first Crusade. Baldwin de Bollers, his son, received from Henry I the barony of Montgomery, with the hand of Sybil de Falaise, his niece. 1

"It was this Baldwin, the first castellan of Montgomery, who gave the town its Welsh name of Tre Faldwin, the town of Baldwin. 'In the year 1121, as Baldwin de Boilers, he affixed his signature and attestation to Henry I.'s great Charter to Shrewsbury Abbey.' He was a second time married, and left children by each of his wives ; but the succession is shrouded in mystery." 3

Hen Domen, (Welsh: "old mound") , a medieval timber motte-and-bailey castle in Powys, Wales was the home of the de Boulers (Bowdler) family and was founded by Baldwin de Boulers. 1 Today, a permanent exhibition can be found on the site.

The Feet of Fines for Somerset included a listing for John le Bouller in 1316 and later in Staffordshire, Robert le Bollere was listed there in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included John le Bolur, Oxfordshire; and Stephen le Bolur, Surrey. 5

Early History of the Boller family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boller research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1320, 1437, 1450, 1453, 1459, 1587, 1659, 1710, 1726, 1865, 1890 and 1911 are included under the topic Early Boller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boller Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Bowler, Boler, Boaler and others.

Early Notables of the Boller family

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boller Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boller Ranking

In the United States, the name Boller is the 14,975^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Boller family to Ireland

Some of the Boller family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 271 words (19 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boller migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Boller or a variant listed above were:

Boller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christina Boller, who landed in New York in 1709 7
Philips Boller, who arrived in New York in 1709 7
Jacob Boller, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 7
Jakob Boller, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1749 7
Philip Wilhelm Boller, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Manuel Boller, aged 35, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1847 7
Wilhelm Boller, aged 39, who landed in Missouri in 1849 7
Sophia Boller, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 7
Sophie Boller, aged 14, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 7
Martin Boller, who landed in America in 1853 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)