Surname Bohelley - Meaning and Origin
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Bohelley: What does the surname Bohelley mean?
The last name Bohelley is of French origin. It is derived from two possible sources. The first possibility is that it is a variation of the surname Buckle, which is an occupational name derived from a Norman personal name, Bucgel. The surname denoted someone who worked with buckles or fastenings. The second possibility is that Bohelley is a variant of Bohely, which is a toponymic surname derived from the French town of Bohéry, the name of which comes from the ancient Gallic word "bicauria", meaning "oak grove".
The name Bohelley is attributed to the tradition of passing on family names from the father to the children. It may suggest an original ancestor was a resident of Bohely or was involved in making buckles.
The Bohelley name can be found in records since the early 1600s in North America, Germany, France, and England. It is considered a rare surname but there are pockets of people who carry it in each of these countries.
The Irish Bohelleys are believed to be descended from a family who emigrated from northern France in 1690 and settled in Cork. In Britain, the name is most common in South Wales and there is a Bohelley family which has resided in Grantham, Lincolnshire since at least the 1600s.
The Bohelleys are an old, distinguished family with a rich history. They have scattered across four continents and kept their identity and name alive. The Bohelley name carries with it a sense of tradition, belonging, and family pride.
Order DNA origin analysisBohelley: Where does the name Bohelley come from?
The surname Bohelley is most commonly found in the United States today. It is mainly concentrated in California and New York—the two states with the highest numbers of people of French heritage, which is where the surname likely originated. In the United States, it tends to be a relatively uncommon last name but is slowly becoming a more recognizable name as more people become more familiar with French culture.
Today, the Bohelley surname is also heavily concentrated in certain parts of France, particularly in the regions of Brittany and Normandy. It is now becoming increasingly more common in other parts of Europe, as many of the descendants of these families have now moved across the continent.
The Bohelley name is a patronymic name—meaning it was given to those with a certain father or parent. The surname originates from the Latin name “Brol” which means “countryman”. As such, the immediate ancestor from which the surname derived would likely have been someone from a rural, potentially farming, background.
Although a small name today, the Bohelley surname is a testament to those with a farming background who made significant contributions to society and the culture of many nations. Today, the Bohelley name is alive and well, a reminder of the past and those who have come before us.
Variations of the surname Bohelley
The surname Bohelley is of French origin, and can be traced back to the French province of Normandy. There are several variants and spellings of this surname, including Bougeley, Booghely, Bougely, Boougely, Bougelye, and Boogeley. All of these variations are derived from the Norman language, the language spoken in Normandy prior to the French conquest in the 16th century.
In some cases, the surname Bohelley has also been spelled as Bouhelley, Bouhelly, Bouhelli, Boughley, Boulley, Buhley, Bukley, Bougley, and Booghley. All of these variations are rooted in the same origin and likely stem from the original Norman spelling and pronunciation of the surname.
The surname is also occasionally spelled as Bohely, Buhley, Buhlle, Buhlley, Bouhley, and Buhlley. In some cases, the surname has been shortened to merely Buhly or Buhley, without the 'l' or 'ly' endings. Additionally, due to some discrepancies in records and documentation, some versions of the surname appear with alternate written surnames, such as Bechelly, Bochely, Bochly, and Beouley.
Some variants of the surname include Bohly, Bohle, and Baully. Similarly, some surnames that share a similar origin and pronunciation, such as Bohelly, Boohely, Bouhelly, and Buhhelly, may be quite distinct from the surname Bohelley.
Finally, there are also other surnames of similar origin, such as Bollet, Boasly, Boomley, Boumery, Boquellety, and Beaudouin, that may have derived from the same source as Bohelley.
Famous people with the name Bohelley
- Peter Boullée (1728–1799), French neoclassical architect
- Theodore Boullée (1799–1850), French neoclassical architect, son of Peter
- Marius Boullée (1891–1975), French World War I flying ace
- William Boullée (1890–1934), British World War I flying ace
- Frédéric Bohelay (1908–1973), French film production designer
- Charles Bohelay (born 1954), French rower
- Étienne Bohelay (born 1964), French politician and former Mayor of Nueil-les-Aubiers
- Yann Bohelay (born 1977), French rugby player
- Loïc Bohelay (born 1990), French-born Gruissan athlete
- Pierre-Yves Bohelay (born 1968), French rugby player