Bolin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Bolin family came to Scotland with the Normans in the 11th century. The Bolin surname is derived from someone who lived in one of the numerous locations named Borland or Boreland in the counties of Dumfriesshire, Galloway, Fife, and Perthshire. The name of these places is thought to mean home-farm. 1
"Bordlands were lands which the lords kept in their hands for the maintenance of their board or table. " 2
Early Origins of the Bolin family
The surname Bolin was first found in Somerset where Robert de la Burlionde was recorded in 1268. A few years later, William atte Borland was recorded in 1303, again in Somerset. 3 Burland is a location name in Yorkshire. 4
Back in Scotland where most families today call their homeland, "James Bordland [was a ] witness in Ayrshire, 1513. Allan Bordlandes was a weaver in Edinburgh in 1609. In the same record the name also appears as Borland, Bordland, Borelands." 1
Early History of the Bolin family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bolin research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1652, 1661, 1684, 1774, 1792, 1796, 1798, 1799 and 1863 are included under the topic Early Bolin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bolin Spelling Variations
There has been great variation in spelling of Scottish names over the centuries. Spelling variations of the name Bolin include Boland, Borland, Bolan, Bolland, Bollin, Boreland and many more.
Early Notables of the Bolin family
Notable among the family at this time was James Borland (1774-1863), Scottish inspector-general of army hospitals, born at Ayr, N.B., in April 1774, and entered the army medical department as surgeons-mate in the 42nd Highlanders in 1792. Having been promoted on the staff next year, he made two campaigns under the Duke of York in Flanders, after which he proceeded to the West Indies as surgeon, 23rd royal Welsh fusiliers. He was then again transferred to the staff, and did duty...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bolin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bolin Ranking
In the United States, the name Bolin is the 2,741st most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 5
Bolin migration to the United States +
Settlers of this name who made their way from Scotland to North America include:
Bolin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Michael Bolin, aged 24, who landed in America in 1822 6
- Johan Anders Bolin, aged 47, who arrived in America in 1826 6
- M Bolin, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
- Carl P Bolin, aged 47, who arrived in America in 1854 6
- Carl Peter Bolin, aged 47, who landed in America in 1854 6
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Bolin (post 1700) +
- Bobby Donald "Bob" Bolin (1939-2023), American Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in 495 games in over 13 seasons (1961–1973) for the San Francisco Giants (1961–1969), Milwaukee Brewers (1970) and Boston Red Sox (1970–1973)
- Shannon Bolin (1917-2016), American actress from Spencer, South Dakota who sometimes used the pseudonym of Anne Bolin
- Jane Matilda Bolin LL.B. (1908-2007), first African-American woman to graduate from Yale Law School
- James Edwin Bolin Sr. (1914-2002), American jurist and politician, judge of the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal and Louisiana Supreme Court
- Wesley Bolin (1909-1978), American politician
- Daniel Holbrook "Danny" Bolin, American soccer midfielder
- Thomas Richard "Tommy" Bolin (1951-1976), American rock guitarist who played with Zephyr, The James Gang and Deep Purple
- Axel Bertil Bolin (b. 1923), Swedish lawyer and international official
- Bert Rickard Johannes Bolin (b. 1925), Swedish meteorologist, recipient of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (1988)
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)
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
- "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)