Boswell Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Boswell last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Boswell last name
Meaning of the Boswell last name: from Beuzeville. Boswell is a Scottish and English surname for a family from Beuzeville in Normandy, who settled in Scotland in the twelfth century. The last name is linked with Ayrshire and Fife. Curiously, James Boswell, born in Edinburgh in 1740, wrote the famous Life of Samuel Johnson.
Arms associated with the Boswell name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Boswell name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Boswell family history
This is only a glimpse of the Boswell story. The full Boswell history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Boswell coat of arms. Get the full Boswell report.
Boswell name FAQ
What does the Boswell name mean?
From Beuzeville. Common variants include Bosville, Boswall.
Where does the Boswell surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Boswell coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Boswell coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).