NameCensus.

UK surname

Boal

A Spanish surname derived from the common noun "boal" meaning a type of grain store or granary.

In the 1881 census there were 119 people recorded with the Boal surname, ranking it #17,841 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 549, ranked #9,292, up from #17,841 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Walsingham, Rochdale and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arran, Sunderland and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boal is 558 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 361.3%.

1881 census count

119

Ranked #17,841

Modern count

549

2016, ranked #9,292

Peak year

2015

558 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boal had 119 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,841 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 549 in 2016, ranked #9,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 239 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Boal surname distribution map

The map shows where the Boal surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Boal surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boal over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 45 #25,168
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 119 #17,841
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 239 #13,489
1911 historical 195 #15,197
1997 modern 475 #9,676
1998 modern 508 #9,473
1999 modern 498 #9,687
2000 modern 496 #9,689
2001 modern 476 #9,814
2002 modern 511 #9,484
2003 modern 501 #9,471
2004 modern 502 #9,497
2005 modern 496 #9,499
2006 modern 486 #9,675
2007 modern 493 #9,662
2008 modern 520 #9,358
2009 modern 534 #9,377
2010 modern 551 #9,354
2011 modern 549 #9,281
2012 modern 524 #9,541
2013 modern 534 #9,564
2014 modern 549 #9,410
2015 modern 558 #9,193
2016 modern 549 #9,292

Geography

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Where Boals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Walsingham, Rochdale, Gateshead, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arran, Sunderland, Redcar and Cleveland and Hambleton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Walsingham Durham
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arran North Ayrshire
2 Sunderland 027 Sunderland
3 Redcar and Cleveland 011 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Hambleton 001 Hambleton
5 Sunderland 029 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boal

These lists show first names that appear often with the Boal surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boal

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boal, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Boal surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Boal household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Boal is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Boal is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boal falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Boal is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Boal, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Boal

The surname BOAL has its origins in the Gaelic language, specifically from the Irish Boyle, a name derived from the old Gaelic word 'bóthla' meaning 'hut' or 'humble dwelling'. It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the 12th century, primarily in the northern counties of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BOAL surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. In this text, the name appears as 'Boyle', referring to a prominent Irish family that held lands in County Roscommon.

The BOAL surname is also closely associated with the town of Boyle in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is likely that the surname originated from this location, with the name initially being used to denote someone who resided in or near the town of Boyle.

Notable historical figures bearing the BOAL surname include Michael Boyle (1609-1702), a prominent Irish Catholic lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Another notable individual was Roger Boyle (1621-1679), an Anglo-Irish nobleman and member of the English Parliament.

In the 17th century, the BOAL surname began to spread beyond Ireland, with some bearers of the name migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to North America. One notable American bearer of the surname was John Boal (1745-1819), a Pennsylvania-born businessman and Revolutionary War soldier.

Other historical figures with the BOAL surname include Robert Boal (1806-1859), a Scottish-born Canadian merchant and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. Additionally, Charles Boal (1827-1902) was an American businessman and philanthropist from Pennsylvania who made significant contributions to the development of the petroleum industry.

Throughout its history, the BOAL surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Boyle, Boile, Boylle, and Boel, among others. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, phonetic spellings, and the influence of different languages over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boal families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boal surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 52 Boals recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.06x.

County Total Index
Durham 52 15.06x
Lancashire 15 1.09x
Renfrewshire 10 11.12x
Yorkshire 9 0.78x
Lanarkshire 8 2.13x
Middlesex 8 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 5 3.20x
Wigtownshire 5 32.45x
Kent 4 1.01x
Cheshire 1 0.39x
Hampshire 1 0.42x
Midlothian 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coxhoe in Durham leads with 13 Boals recorded in 1881 and an index of 1326.53x.

Place Total Index
Coxhoe 13 1326.53x
Wardleworth 11 139.77x
Brandon Byshottles 9 207.85x
Neilston 9 199.12x
Headingley Cum Burley 8 108.11x
Conside Knitsley 7 261.19x
Darlington 7 52.51x
St George Hanover Square 6 29.34x
Willington 6 300.00x
Clarborough 5 427.35x
Kirkmaiden 5 510.20x
Shettleston 5 148.81x
Barony 3 3.16x
Cornforth 3 294.12x
Habergham Eaves 3 23.83x
Tanfield 3 72.99x
Wolsingham 3 95.24x
Woolwich 3 20.51x
Chelsea London 2 5.72x
Chester Holy Trinity 1 83.33x
Cockpen 1 54.95x
East Greenock 1 11.78x
Escomb 1 62.89x
Gate Fulford 1 37.17x
Hound 1 62.11x
Liverpool 1 1.20x
Minster In Sheppey 1 15.24x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Boal surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Boal surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 10
John 6
Thomas 6
James 5
Robert 4
Alexander 3
Alfred 3
Hugh 2
Alex.B. 1
Augusta 1
David 1
Edmond 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Isaac 1
Isiah 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Boal surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boal surname in 1881?

In 1881, 119 people were recorded with the Boal surname. That placed it at #17,841 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 549 in 2016. That gives Boal a modern rank of #9,292.

What does the Boal surname mean?

A Spanish surname derived from the common noun "boal" meaning a type of grain store or granary.

What does the Boal map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Boal bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.