Boyle - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Baoighill
Meaning: “having pledges”
Traditional stronghold: Donegal
Pronunciation: BOYL; Irish O Baoighill: oh BEE-gil
History of the Boyle name
The O'Boyles were one of the leading septs of Tir Chonaill (Donegal), ranking alongside the O'Donnells and O'Dohertys as a ruling family of the region before the Plantation of Ulster. Their territory lay around the Rosses and Boylagh, a barony that still bears their name, and they served as marshals to the O'Donnell chieftains. After the collapse of the Gaelic order in the early 17th century many Boyles remained in Donegal while others dispersed throughout Ulster and Connacht. The unrelated English Boyle family, earls of Cork and Burlington, arrived separately as planters, meaning the surname today has both Gaelic and Anglo-Norman/English roots feeding into the same name.
Variants: O'Boyle · Boyles
Famous bearers of the name
- Robert Boyle - 17th-century natural philosopher and chemist, formulator of Boyle's Law, born in Munster
- Frankie Boyle - Scottish-Irish comedian and satirist
- Danny Boyle - English film director of Irish parentage, made Slumdog Millionaire
- Susan Boyle - Scottish singer of Irish descent who rose to fame on Britain's Got Talent
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Gallagher · Doherty · Sweeney · O'Donnell · Duffy · McLoughlin · Mooney · Ward