| ![Show Contents]() Books History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland Ireland The roots of the Books surname reach back to the language of the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The Books surname comes from someone having lived in a place noted for the presence of a ridge that formed a boundary between two distinct areas. It comes from a variant of the word boak or balk, of the same meaning. While historians generally agree upon the aforementioned topographical derivation, most believe that this name actually came from the area called Boak in the parish of Kirkholm. 1 Another source claims the name is "probably a variant of boak, a northern form of balk, a ridge (as a boundary.)" (Weekley) Early Origins of the Books familyThe surname Books was first found in Boak in the parish of Kirkcolm, Dumfries and Galloway, part of the former county of Wigtownshire. Early entries for the family are relatively rare as we must look to the 16th century to find the first recorded entry, that of Andrew Boog who witnessed instrument of sasine in 1550. David Book was a merchant in Edinburgh, 1610 and Thomas Baok was a merchant burgess of Stirling in 1622. 1 Early History of the Books familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Books research. Another 321 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1523, 1546, 1576, 1595, 1605, 1613, 1626, 1629, 1632, 1636, 1643, 1652, 1664, 1666, 1668, 1683, 1685, 1688, 1697, 1709, 1775, 1786, 1793, 1797, 1812, 1863 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Books History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Books Spelling VariationsSpelling variations are extremely common among Scottish names dating from this era because the arts of spelling and translation were not yet standardized. Spelling was done by sound, and translation from Gaelic to English was generally quite careless. In different records, Books has been spelled Boag, Boig, Book, Boack, Boge, Bogue, Boak, Bouk, Bouck, Bogues, Bogg, Boggs and many more. Early Notables of the Books familyNotable amongst the family at this time was John Boag (1775-1863), Scottish compiler of the ‘Imperial Lexicon,’ born at Highgate in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire, on 7 Jan. 1775. He matriculated at the university of Glasgow in 1797, and completed his academical course with a view to taking orders in the church of Scotland, but joined the body of independents or Congregationalists, who in 1812 formed themselves into the...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Books Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Books RankingIn the United States, the name Books is the 15,909th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2  Migration of the Books family to Ireland
Some of the Books family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Books migration to the United States | + |
Those who made the voyage were greeted with ample opportunity to acquire land and a political climate far away from the oppressive monarchy of the old country. They settled along the east coast of what would become Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence, those who remained loyal to England traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In this century, many Scots living in North America have begun to recover their rich heritage through festivals, highland games, and Clan societies. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Books:
Books Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Ina Books, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 3
Books Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Henry Books, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1736 3
- John Books, aged 23, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1736 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Books (post 1700) | + |
- John Cameron Books (1941-2017), Australian politician, Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Parramatta (1988-1991)
- 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)
- "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)
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Books migration to the United States 
