| ![Show Contents]() Bofill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of BofillWhat does the name Bofill mean? The forefathers of the Bofill family were Viking settlers who came to Scotland in the Middle Ages. Many places were named by these Norsemen, and the Bofill surname was taken on from one of these place names, when someone lived in Normandy, at the Castle of Bonneville or Bondeville. Some of the family remained in Normandy as seen by the record of William de Bonville who was listed there in 1124. 1 "The Itineraire de la Normandie records three places so called, two near Rouen and the third near Yvetot." 2 Early Origins of the Bofill familyThe surname Bofill was first found in Devon, but early records also revealed that Bonvilston in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales which may have been an ancient family seat as the village is named after Simon de Bonville, a Norman nobleman who lived there in the 12th century. "In 1165 the son of Robert de Bonavilla held lands in York. The Barons Bonville were of this house." 1 "The descendant of the Norman chief was summoned to Parliament, 28 Henry VI., as Baron Bonville of Chuton. He subsequently espoused the interests of the House of York, and was one of those to whom the custody of Henry VI. was committed after the Battle of Northampton." 3 Later Sir Nicholas de Bonville of Shute's son Sir William Bonville (c. 1332-1408) held estates at Newenham Abbey, Devon and rests there. His son was Sir John Bonville (c. 1371-1396) and his son was William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville (c. 1392-1461), KG, of Shute, Devon, the English nobleman, soldier, and administrator. "In the reign of Edward IV. the manor of Cransworth [in the parish of St. Wen, Cornwall] belonged to the family of Bonville." 4 In 1400 they were granted a charter of lands by King Robert 3rd of Scotland at Balhelvy Bonvile. One branch of the family was found in Scotland in early times. "Adam de Bonuill was present at perambulation of the bounds of Kynblathmund, 1219. John de Boneville had a charter of the lands of Collistoun and two roumes of Arndendrachtis in the lordship of Buchan, 1321 and John de Bonevyle is mentioned in 1326 as owner of the land of Blairtoun in the thanedom of Balhelvie, Aberdeenshire. " 2 Early History of the Bofill familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bofill research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1326, 1340, 1341, 1376, 1392, 1400, 1449, 1461, 1475, 1621 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Bofill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bofill Spelling VariationsSound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Bofill include Bonville, Bonvile, Bonvill, Bonfield, Boneville, Bonfilly and many more. Early Notables of the Bofill familyAnother 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bofill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bofill family to IrelandSome of the Bofill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Bofill migration to the United States | + |
In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Bofill or a variant listed above:
Bofill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Jose Bofill, aged 42, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1817 5
- Luis Bofill, aged 22, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1826 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Bofill (post 1700) | + |
- Angela Tomasa Bofill (1954-2024), American singer-songwriter of Cuban-Puerto Rican origins
- Camil Bofill (b. 1957), Spanish Catalan painter and sculptor
- Anna Bofill Leví (b. 1944), Catalan Spanish pianist, architect and composer
- Ricardo Bofill Leví (1939-2022), Spanish architect, founder of Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura in 1963 and developed it into a leading international architectural and urban design practice
- 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)
- 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)
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- 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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