Show ContentsO'Boyelle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish surname O'Boyelle 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 O'Boyelle family

The surname O'Boyelle 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 O'Boyelle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Boyelle 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 O'Boyelle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Boyelle Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name O'Boyelle were encountered in the archives: Boyle, O'Boyle, Boghill, Hill, Boile, Baoghal, Baole and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Boyelle 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 O'Boyelle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Boyelle family

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the O'Boyelle family came to North America quite early: 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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