Show ContentsBowlink History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the Bowlink family

The surname Bowlink 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 Bowlink family

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

Bowlink 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 Bowlink 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 Bowlink family

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

Migration of the Bowlink family

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 Bowlink or one of its variants: James Boland who arrived in New England in 1764; Dominic, Francis, James, and John Boland, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860; Jeremiah Boland arrived in Quebec, Canada, in 1825.



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


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