Origins Available: English,
German,
Scottish
The ancestors of the Boley family brought their name to
England in the wave of migration after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in
Lincolnshire and various other areas throughout Britain. The name of this family, however, does not refer to these areas, but to the French Channel port of "Boulogne."
Early Origins of the Boley family
The surname Boley was first found in various counties throughout Britain. The earliest listing of the name appears to be Gilebert de Bollon who was listed in
Northumberland in 1168. Over one
hundred years later, the
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Pharamund de Boloynne in Buckinghamshire; Richard de Boloyne in Somerset; John de Boloyne in Cambridge; and Thomas Boloyne in
Essex.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) Interestingly, the rolls also listed Simon, Count of 'Buloyne' as residing in Oxford. In the reference "History of
Norfolk," Simon de Boleyn was listed about the same time.
Early History of the Boley family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boley research.
Another 224 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1406, 1463, 1440, 1451, 1505, 1501, 1507, 1536, 1533, 1536, 1480, 1538, 1504, 1536, 1499, 1543, 1477, 1539, 1603, 1454 and 1539 are included under the topic Early Boley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Boley Spelling Variations
A multitude of
spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to
England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Bullen, Bulen, Bullan, Bulloyne, Bouleyne, Bulleyn and many more.
Early Notables of the Boley family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Geoffrey Boleyn (1406-1463), Lord Mayor of London, son of Geoffrey Boleyn (d. 1440) yeoman of Salle, Norfolk; Sir William Boleyn (1451-1505), the son of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, a wealthy mercer and Lord Mayor of London; Admiral Sir Charles Bullen; Anne Boleyn (c.1501...
Another 117 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Boley family to Ireland
Some of the Boley family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 184 words (13 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Boley family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families left
England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Boley or a variant listed above:
Boley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Johan Carl Boley, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1764 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Contemporary Notables of the name Boley (post 1700)
- Michael Jerome Boley (b. 1982), former American NFL football linebacker for the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals from 2005 to 2013
- John Peter "Joe" Boley (1896-1962), nicknamed "Silent Joe," an American Major League Baseball shortstop who played from 1927 to 1932
- Donna Jean Boley (b. 1935), American politician, Member of the West Virginia Senate (1985-)
- Bruno A. Boley (b. 1924), American academic, Dean of Engineering at Northwestern University
- Prince Mark Boley (b. 1989), Liberian footballer
- George Eutychianus Saigbe Boley (b. 1949), Liberian politician and former rebel leader
The Boley Motto
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: E Rege et victoria
Motto Translation: The King and victory.