11,065 Global BOYLES Family Members

BOYLES Family History

This interesting Irish name is the Anglicized form of the Gaelic "O' Baoighill" descendant of "Baoigheall" a personal name from "baoth" rash, and "geall", pledge. Traditionally, Irish family names were taken from some illustrious warrior, and are usually prefixed by "O", as above, or "Mac", denoting son of. The O' Boyles were a strong sept in County Donegal and they shared the leadership of the North West, and were noted for their ruddy complexion. However, the best known bearers of the name were actually men of English race, as in Richard Boyle, a Jacobean adventurer from Kent who acquired the lands of the executed Sir Walter Raleigh in County Waterford, and later became the 1st Earl of Cork.