Boyce History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Boyce

What does the name Boyce mean?

The surname Boyce is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. The name Boyce is derived from the Old French word "bois," which means "wood," and indicates that the original bearer lived near a wooded area, such as a forest. 1

Early Origins of the Boyce family

The surname Boyce was first found in various parts of Scotland including Hugo Delboys who witnessed a confirmation charter by Hugh, Bishop of St. Andrews c. 1185-1188 according to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. A few years later, Richard del Bois witnessed a confirmation charter of fishery in Torduf between 1194 and 1211. 2

About the same time, Walterus de Bosco witnessed a charter by Robert the Bruce c. 1190. Robert Boys was listed in Dumfriesshire c. 1259. Willelmus de Bosch or de Bosco, cancellarius domini regis, appears frequently as witness in the chartularies of Soltre, Glasgow, Kelso, Brechin, and Arnbroath between 1189-1222. Gaufridus de Bosco, Humphrey de Bosco, and Thomas de Bosco appear as charter witnesses between 1215-1245. Robert Boys is recorded in Dumfriesshire, c. 1259. 2

The Scottish branch of this ancient Norman family likely moved north from England to their first place of landing and settlement after the Conquest, as many of the earliest records of the family in Scotland were almost 100 years later. By example, Robert de Bois held estates in Buckinghamshire in 1086. The De Bois-Herbert family were barons of Halberton, Devon c. 1050.3

"Sir Humphrey de Bois, of Dryfesdale, who was slain at Lochmaben in 1333, is supposed by Dalrymple to have been the ancestor of Hector Boece, the historian." 4

Early History of the Boyce family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boyce research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1150, 1296, 1413, 1465, 1536, 1543, 1594, 1719 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Boyce History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boyce Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Boyce, Boyes, Boze, Bois, Boise, Boice, Boas, Bost, Bust, Boast, Boost and many more.

Early Notables of the Boyce family

Notable among the family at this time was

Hector Boece (sometimes spelt Boethius, or Boyce) (1465-1536), a Scottish philosopher and first Principal of King's College in Aberdeen

Boyce World Ranking

In the United States, the name Boyce is the 1,046^th most popular surname with an estimated 29,844 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Boyce is ranked the 895^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,382 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Boyce is the 498^th popular surname with an estimated 1,372 people with that name. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Boyce as 861^st with 7,890 people. 8

Migration of the Boyce family to Ireland

Some of the Boyce family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boyce migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Boyce Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Chyna Boyce, who landed in Virginia in 1617 9
Allice Boyce, who landed in Virginia in 1622 9
Hannah Boyce, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 9
Mr. Christopher Boyce, (b. 1597), aged 38, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Constance" arriving in Virginia in 1635 10
Chri Boyce, aged 38, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boyce Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles Boyce, who arrived in Virginia in 1711 9
Geo Boyce, who landed in Virginia in 1716 9
Ann Boyce, who arrived in Virginia in 1728 9
James Boyce, who arrived in America in 1765 9
Jannet Boyce, aged 16, who landed in New York in 1774 9

Boyce Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Boyce, who arrived in New York in 1810 9
John A Boyce, aged 24, who landed in New York in 1812 9
Joseph Boyce, who arrived in Louisiana in 1813 9
Anne Boyce, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 9
Henry Boyce, aged 25, who landed in America in 1821 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boyce migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Boyce Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Boyce, who settled in Carbonear in 1709
Mr. Jehoida Boyce, "Jehadda" U.E. (b. 1759) born in Dutchess County, New York, USA from Schaghticoke & Saratoga, Albany County, New York, USA who settled in Elizabeth Town [Elizabethtown], Leeds County, Ontario c. 1783 married to Millicent Keeler they had 12 children he died in 1835 11
Mr. John Boyce U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1783 11
Mr. John Boyce, aka "Heirs" U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 11
Mr. Stephen Boyce U.E. who settled in Ernestown, Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1783 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boyce Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Boyce, who settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland in 1834
Mr. John Boyce, aged 21 who was a Seaman aboard the ship "Scotland" taking passenger to Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died at Grosse Isle on 6th June 1847 in the typhus epidemic 12
John and William Boyce, who settled in Harbour Breton in 1871

Boyce migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Boyce Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Boyce, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. Robert Boyce, British convict who was convicted in Thetford, Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
Thomas Boyce, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" in 1837 15
John Boyce, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Surrey" in 1838 16
Benjamin Boyce, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Moffatt" in 1839 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boyce migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Boyce Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Boyce, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th December 1851 18
William Boyce, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Shamrock" in 1855
Ellen Boyce, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Shamrock" in 1855
Miss Elizabeth Ann Boyce, (b. 1859), aged Infant, Irish settler from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 19
Mrs. Sarah Boyce, (b. 1832), aged 27, Irish settler from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Boyce migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 20

Boyce Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Frances Boyce, who settled in St. Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1634
Francis Boyce, aged 25, who arrived in St Christopher in 1634 9
Joseph Boyce, who settled in Barbados in 1635
Mr. Joseph Boyce, (b. 1611), aged 24, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 21

Contemporary Notables of the name Boyce (post 1700) +

Hettie Boyce (1912-1991), American private in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
Ethel Phoebe Boyce (1917-1996), Canadian ballplayer who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Robert L. Boyce (1955-2023), American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist
William Dickson Boyce (1858-1929), American newspaper man, entrepreneur, magazine publisher, and explorer, founder of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Lone Scouts of America (LSA)
James Petigru Boyce (1827-1888), American Southern Baptist pastor, theologian, author, seminary professor, and founder and first president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Cameron Boyce (1999-2019), American actor in films and television shows, best known for his work with Disney
Kim Boyce (b. 1961), American gospel singer
Second Lieutenant George W g Boyce Jr., American officer awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
Edward J. Boyce, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 11th District, 1904 22
Dorothy Boyce, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1960 22
... (Another 46 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Boyce family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. David G Boyce, British Musician, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 23

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
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)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 62)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) KATHERINE STEWART FORBES 1837 arrived Holdfast Bay, near Adelaide, on October 17, 1837. . Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837KatherineStewartForbes.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SURRY/SURREY 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Surry-Surrey.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MOFFATT 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Moffatt.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html