Topics

• About the Boyt One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Historical occurrences
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• DNA project
• Contact Details

About the Boyt One-Name Study

Collection of all instances of the name of Boyt. Currently it concerns mostly families in the UK and only contains other countries when the UK branches have emigrated. It will eventually cover the name Boyt worldwide

Variants

Variants of the name Boyt include: Boyte, Boytes, Boit, Boite, Boyet(t), Boyat(t), Boight.

Origin of the surname

There is no definitive agreement on the origin of the name Boyt but it is possibly from the French word for box, i.e. Boite. In old Frence apparently it was spelled as Boyte.

Historical occurrences

In historical sources, there is a Christiana de Boyte mentioned in documents relating to Northumberland in the 1200's and in the time of Elizabeth 1, a Sir Richard Boyt & a Clement Boyt are witnesses on a legal document. In 1580 a Phillipe Boyte was executed in London for piracy. In more recent times, John Boyt of New York and a descendent of George Boyt of Sturminster Marshall, Dorset, was a well known stage & costume designer.

Distribution of the name

In the 19th century, the name Boyt & Boyte is mostly found concentrated in Dorset and Hampshire. Variant spellings of Boit & Boite are found in Somerset & Gloucestershire at the same time. Branches of the family moved to Lancashire & Yorkshire in the late 1800's following employment on the canals and then on the railway. The highest concentration to date is still in Dorset & Hampshire.

Data

I currently have extracted the Birth, Marriage & Death entries from the GRO register from 1837 - 1900. A substantial number of baptisms, marriages & burials from parish registers in Dorset. Extractions of census entries for the UK. Some parish chest miscellaneous entries such as bastardy orders, etc. relating to Sturminster Marshall & some other surrounding parishes. The collection is being added to on a fairly regular basis.

DNA project

There is a BOYT/BOYETT DNA project which is coordinated by David and Garland BOYETT. The project has proved a link between the USA & UK and are interested in recruiting other BOYT or other variant spellings worldwide to the project. The project has two groups including the rare halpogroup F. There is huge amount of information on this site:- it includes pedigrees from participants, photographs & maps of the area where their ancestors lived.

The project can be viewed and joined at: http://bellsouthpwp.net/B/o/Boyt-Boyett/Page.htm

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mrs Norma E Boyt
Ty'r Efail,
Bolahaul Road,
Cwmffrwd,
Carmarthen
SA31 2LP
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail:

This page last updated 7 September 2008.

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Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.