Show ContentsBoves History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • England
Boves Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Boves

What does the name Boves mean?

The Norman name Boves was originally used for a person who was a friend, and is a somewhat nondescript form of affectionate address, somewhat like pal or mate in modern English. The name translates from the Old French root belfiz of the same meaning. The modern French meaning of the word as son in law was not in place until 1468.

Other sources claim that the name is a local surname from Beauvais in France. and there, we found that "Duke Richard II. in 1027, confirmed the gift of Ansgot de Belvai of land at Belvai to Fescamp Abbey. Fescamp (Fécamp) Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy, France. 1 2 Founded in 658 by Waningus, a Merovingian count, the abbey still stands today.

As to agree with this postulation, another source weighs in on the debate by simply stating "The town of Beauvais, in France, is however a more likely source for the surname." 3 This author continues "Sir Bevys of medieval romance seems to have no place in veritable history, though Heylin claims him as a real Earl of Southampton. The first instance of the surname that I can call to mind is in Sir John Bevis, or Befs, who took Richard, brother of King Henry III., prisoner in a windmill at the battle of Lewes, in 1264. " 3

Early Origins of the Boves family

The surname Boves was first found in Herefordshire where Goisbert de Beluaco was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 4 Years later, Thomas Beueys was listed in the Assize Rolls for Kent in 1317 and Philip de Beauveys was found in Lancashire in 1321. Early records in Cambridgeshire show Robert de Beueys as holding lands there in 1327. 5

The Pipe Rolls for Hampshire record Odo Belfiz in 1176 and in Gloucestershire, records there show William Beaufiz, Biaufis in 1208. 5

Early History of the Boves family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boves research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1254, 1693, 1715, 1718, 1731 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Boves History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boves Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Bevis, Bevys, Beavis, Beavys and others.

Early Notables of the Boves family

Sir Bevis of Hampshire; and John Bevis (1693-1771), an Welsh doctor and astronomer, best known for discovering the Crab Nebula in 1731. "Born 31 Oct. 1693, at Tenby, Pembrokeshire. His parents occupied a good...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boves Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boves migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Boves name or one of its variants:

Boves Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Boves, who settled in Virginia in 1653
  1. 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)
  2. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)

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