Boultbee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Boultbee

What does the name Boultbee mean?

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Boultbee is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in Boltby near Whitby, in the county of Yorkshire.

Early Origins of the Boultbee family

The surname Boultbee was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire, at Boltby, a chapelry, in the parish of Felix-Kirk, union of Thirsk, wapentake of Birdforth. 1

Boltby dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Boltebi 2 and literally meant "farmstead or village of a man called Boltr or Bolti" from the Viking personal name + "by." 3

"It appears more natural to assume that Boulby and Bowlby are modifications, but my last entry from the Hundredorum Rolls suggests a separate and independent origin. " 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Adam de Bolteby, Yorkshire; Hugh de Bolteby, Yorkshire; Adam de Boltby, Northumberland; and William de Boleby, Buckinghamshire. 4

Yorkshire is very close to the Scottish border, so it is not surprising to find early records there too.

"William de Bolteby witnessed a confirmation charter by Patrick earl of Dunbar of a grant to the Abbey of Melrose c. 1230-31, and as de Boltevy witnessed a charter of lands to the Priory of Coldstream c. 1232. His name probably comes from Boltby in Yorkshire, in DB. Boltebi and Bolteby." 5

Early History of the Boultbee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boultbee research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boultbee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boultbee Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Boultbee has been spelled many different ways, including Boultby, Boultbee, Boultbie, Boltby, Bowlby and many more.

Early Notables of the Boultbee family

More information is included under the topic Early Boultbee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boultbee family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Boultbees to arrive in North America: James Boultby settled in Fort Cumberland Nova Scotia in 1774; Edward Bowlby settled in Philadelphia in 1808.

Contemporary Notables of the name Boultbee (post 1700) +

Thomas Pownall Boultbee (1818-1884), English divine, born on 7 Aug. 1818, the eldest son of Thomas Boultbee, for forty-seven years vicar of Bidford, Warwickshire 6
William Boultbee Sleath (1763-1843), English teacher and clergyman, headmaster of Repton School (1800 to 1830)

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019