Boyle Name History

Boyle is an Irish and Scottish surname of Gaelic or Norman origin. In the northwest of Ireland it is one of the most common family names. The name was first recorded as O'Baoighill in County Donegal, but there are also Boyles who descend from the Norman family, de Boyville. Boyles who come from the Ulster province are believed to descend from King Maoldun Baoghal. Most anciently of County Donegal, the O Boyles were chiefs of the three Tuaths (meaning 'country, tribe' etc.) in northwest Donegal.

Spelling variations of Boyle include O'Boyle, O'Baoighill, Boile, Boghill, Baole, Beoghal, Boyall, Boal, and others.Ó Baoighill- anglicised Boyle, O Boyle. The root word is probably 'pledge' or 'baigell' meaning 'profitable pledges'.

The Boyle Coat of Arms

The Boyle coat of arms is a dramatic field of gold with one green oak tree with spreading roots. The tree in Irish heraldry is a symbol of strength and age.

Learn more about the Boyles

The Framed Irish Family Name History, (#1760) has more information on the Boyle surname. There is a wide selection of Boyle coat of arms products at The Irish Rose. Please visit the Irish Coat of Arms page.

Find Boyle's Pubs in Ireland

There is more than one Boyle's Pub in Ireland. If you're planning a trip make sure to visit your namesake public house.

Here are two fine establishments that bear the Boyle name:

Boyles Of Slane, in Slane, County Meath
John Boyle Public House in Kildare, County Kildare

If you can't visit in person, our personalized pub gifts are the next best thing!

Notable people named Boyle

Charles P. Boyle (1892–1968), American cinematographer
Chris Cornell (born 1964), musician, born Christopher Boyle
Danny Boyle (born 1956), British film director, cousin of John Wayne
Edward G. Boyle, (1899–1977), Canadian set decorator
Frankie Boyle (born 1972), Scottish comedian
George Frederick Boyle (1886–1948), Australian-American composer
Ina Boyle (1889–1967), Irish composer
James Boyle (broadcasting), BBC broadcaster
Jimmy Boyle (artist) (born 1944), Scottish sculptor and novelist, former gangster
Johnny Boyle, drummer for the Irish band, The Frames
Katie Boyle (born 1926), television presenter
Lara Flynn Boyle (born 1970), U.S. actress
Louise Boyle (1910–2005), U.S. photographer
Mark Boyle (1934–2005), Scottish artist
Peter Boyle (1935–2006), U.S. actor
Ray Boyle (born 1925), American actor
Robert F. Boyle (1909–2010), director and production designer
Ruth-Ann Boyle (born 1970), singer of the British group Olive
Shary Boyle (born 1972), Canadian artist
Susan Boyle (born 1961), Scottish singer and a contestant on the 3rd series of Britain's Got Talent
Troy Boyle (born 1966), U.S. comic book artist and writer

Military

Courtenay Boyle (1770–1844), British naval officer and MP
Edward Courtney Boyle (1883–1967), English Royal Navy officer, First World War recipient of the Victoria Cross
Jeremiah Boyle (1818–1871), Union Brigadier General during the American Civil War
Thomas Boyle (1775–1825), U.S. Navy officer

Politics, government, and law

Brendan F. Boyle (born 1977), politician
Charles Boyle, 2nd Viscount Blesington (died 1732), Irish politician
Charles A. Boyle (1907–1959), U.S. Representative from Illinois
Charles Cavendish Boyle (1849–1916), British colonial administrator
Charles Edmund Boyle (1836–1888), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow (1833–1915), governor of New Zealand 1892–1897
David Boyle, Lord Boyle (1772–1853), Scottish judge and privy counsellor of the United Kingdom
Sir Edward Boyle, 1st Baronet (1848–1909), MP for Taunton 1906–1909, grandfather of Baron Boyle
Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth (1923–1981), British Conservative Party politician, MP 1950–1970
Edward C. Boyle, (died 1981), Allegheny County District Attorney for Pittsburgh from 1956 to 1964
Edward James Boyle, Sr. (1913–2002), U.S. federal judge
Emmet D. Boyle (1879–1926), former Governor of Nevada
Francis Boyle (born 1950), professor of international law
George Boyle, 6th Earl of Glasgow (1825–1890), Scottish politician
Harris Boyle (c. 1953–1975), Northern Irish loyalist and Ulster Volunteer Force member
Hugh Boyle Ewing (1826–1905), American diplomat, author and lawyer
James Boyle (academic) (born 1959), professor of law
James Boyle (Donegal politician) (1863–1936), Irish politician, Member of Parliament for West Donegal 1900–1902
James Boyle (Fianna Fáil politician) (fl.1930s), Fianna Fáil Member of the 1934–1936 Seanad Éireann
James Boyle Uniacke (1799–1858), Canadian politician
Jane J. Boyle (born 1954), District judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
John Boyle (congressman) (1774–1835), member of the U.S. House of Representatives
John Boyle (UK politician) (c. 1870–1950), Unionist politician from Northern Ireland
John Robert Boyle (1870–1936), Albertan politician
Joshua Boyle, Member of Parliament in the Irish House of Commons
Kevin Boyle (lawyer) (1943–2010), Northern Ireland-born human rights activist, barrister and educator
Kevin J. Boyle (born 1980), member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Mike Boyle (born 1944), mayor of Omaha, Nebraska
Murrough Boyle, 1st Viscount Blesington (1709–1769), governor of Limerick
Patricia Boyle (1937–2014), American judge
Sarah Patton Boyle (1906-1994), Virginian civil rights activist
Terrence Boyle (born 1945), U.S. judge
W. A. Boyle (1904–1985), president of the United Mine Workers of America union, 1963–1972
William M. Boyle (1903–1961), American Democratic political activist from Kansas

Religion

Greg Boyle (priest) (born 1954), Jesuit priest in East Los Angeles
Hugh Charles Boyle (1873–1950), American Roman Catholic bishop
John Boyle (bishop) (1563–1620), Bishop
Richard Boyle (bishop) (c.1574–1644), Archbishop of Tuam

Sciences, math, and medicine

Brian J. Boyle, astrophysicist
David Boyle (archaeologist) (1842–1911), Canadian educator and archaeologist
Henry Edmund Gaskin Boyle (1875–1941), anaesthesiologist
Phelim Boyle (born 1941), quantitative finance academic
Robert Boyle (1627–1691), Anglo-Irish natural philosopher
Robert William Boyle (1883–1955), Canadian physicist, co-inventor of sonar
Willard Boyle (1924–2011), Canadian physicist

Sports

Brian Boyle (born 1984), professional hockey player
Buzz Boyle (1908–1978), Major League Baseball player
Dan Boyle (ice hockey) (born 1976), professional ice hockey player
Daryl Boyle (born 1987), Canadian professional ice hockey player
David Boyle (rugby league) (born 1959), former Australian rugby league player
Eddie Boyle (1874–1941), Major League Baseball player
Hugh Boyle (golfer) (born 1936), Irish golfer
Jack Boyle (1866–1913), Major League Baseball player
Jim Boyle (born 1962), American football player
Jimmy Boyle (baseball) (1904–1958), American baseball player
Jimmy Boyle (footballer) (born 1972), former Scottish footballer
John Boyle (footballer born 1946), Scottish footballer
John Boyle (footballer born 1986), Scottish footballer
Lauren Boyle (born 1987), New Zealand swimmer
Morrie Boyle, Australian rugby league footballer
Patrick Boyle (footballer) (born 1987), Scottish footballer
Raelene Boyle (born 1951), Australian athlete
Richard Boyle (canoeist) (born 1961), New Zealand sprint canoeist
Richard Boyle (rower) (1888–1953), British rower and medallist at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Ryan Boyle (born 1981), U.S. lacrosse player
Ryan Boyle (rugby league) (born 1987), rugby league player
Stephen Boyle (born 1953), Australian footballer
Steve Boyle (rugby union) (born 1953), English rugby union player
Steve Boyle (boxer) (born 1962), Scottish boxer
Terry Boyle (born 1958), Former footballer from Wales
Tommy Boyle (footballer born 1886) (1886–1940), football player who played for Barnsley, Burnley, and Wrexham
Tommy Boyle (footballer, born 1901) (1901–1972), football player who played for Sheffield United, Manchester United, and Northampton Town
Wesley Boyle (born 1979), Football midfielder

Writers

Andrew Boyle (1919–1991), journalist and biographer
Charles Boyle (poet) (born 1951), UK poet
David Boyle (author) (born 1958), economics author and journalist
John Boyle O'Reilly (1844–1890), Irish poet and novelist
Kay Boyle (1902–1992), U.S. writer and political activist
Kevin Boyle (historian) (born 1960), author and professor of history at Ohio State University
Nicholas Boyle (born 1946), British literature historian
Patrick Boyle (writer) (1905–1982), Irish writer
T. Coraghessan Boyle (born 1948), U.S. novelist and short story writer

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