Boyn

This very interesting surname recorded in the spellings of Boyn and Boyne, is claimed by the Irish to be of Irish origin, the Scots of Scottish origin, and the English, all three. There are many places called Boyne in the British Isles, but despite the fact that the first recording is Irish, the strongest claims to the surname are probably Scottish. In Banffshire there was an ancient "thanedom" or kingdom called "Boyne" and it is likely that the nameholders in both Scotland and Ireland hail originally from there. In the early Gaelic the name was spelt either as Mac Baoithin or O'Baoithin, and later anglicised to Boyn, Boyne, and Boyheen. The John Boyn of 1297, see below, may well have originated from Scotland, there was little love then between Scotland and England, and both used Ireland as a battleground. Certainly there are records in Scotland which indicate that the "family" were resident in Banffshire before the 11th century. The name also crops up in England where it is probably locational, if not Scottish, from one of the several places called Boyne or Boyne Hill in Berkshire and Yorkshire. Amongst English records is that of John Boyne, who was a witness in London in 1642. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Boyn, which was dated 1297, outlawed in County Kildare for rebellion against the government. This was during the reign of King Edward 1 of England, known as 'The Hammer of the Scots' 1272-1307. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.