BOYES
Recorded variant spellings include Boy Es
The surname Boyes is of English origin, originating from the British Isles, specifically England, and has been borne predominantly by English‑speaking populations.
Its earliest recorded form dates back to the year 1201, when a man named Nicholas del Bois appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire during the reign of King John, who reigned from 1199 to 1216.
The name derives from the Middle English word boye, meaning a servant or a young male attendant. In medieval times it was usually a nickname for a boy who served in a noble household, and over centuries it became hereditary and passed down through generations.
Other etymological possibilities have been identified. The surname may be a topographical designation for someone living near a woodland area, derived from the Old French word bois meaning “wood.” It might also originate from a patronymic based on the Middle English nickname boy meaning “lad” or “servant,” or from an early English personal name Boia dated before the seventh century. In some regions, particularly in Ireland, the name is an anglicised form of the Gaelic O’Buadhaigh, where the prefix O denotes “grandson of” or “descendant of,” and Buadhach translates to “victorious.” This form appears in records from the early thirteenth century.
Several early documents provide evidence of the surname. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex record a Thomas Boys in 1296, while the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk mention a Robert du Boys in 1327. In London, Judith, daughter of Peter Boyes, was christened at St. Ann's, Blackfriars, on 14 April 1573. A notable bearer, John Frederick Boyes (1811–1879), was a classical scholar who studied at Merchant Taylors' School and St. John's College, Oxford, obtaining an M.A. and publishing works on classical and English poetry.
Variations of the surname are common and include Boys, Boyse, Boice, and Boyce. The spelling Boys often appears in guild and tax records from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Beyond its occupational references, the name has also been associated with the term Bie or Bye in old English, used to denote living in or near a particular district or place. The surname therefore incorporates elements of occupation, locality, and lineage, reflecting the functional role of surnames in medieval society before their adoption as permanent family names.
Today, individuals bearing the surname Boyes can be found worldwide, with a significant presence in English‑speaking countries, where the name retains its historical legacy while becoming part of a global heritage.
Typical given names associated with the Boyes surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Jean
- Joanne
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Boyes in...
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There are approximately 5,643 people named Boyes in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,676th most common surname in Britain. Around 87 in a million people in Britain are named Boyes.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Boyes
- Adam Boyes - Football player
- John Boyes - Photographer and musician
- Karl Boyes -
- Roland Boyes - Politician (1937 to 2006)
- Roger Boyes - Journalist
- Ken Boyes - Football player (1895 to 1963)
- Duncan Gordon Boyes - Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1846 to 1869)
- Stuart Boyes - Cricketer (1899 to 1973)
- Max Boyes - Athletics competitor
- Nicola Boyes - Rower
- Henry Ernest Boyes - American entrepreneur and settler (1844 to 1919)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.