Is the last name Boyd of Irish origination?

There may be a branch that originated in Ireland, but it is definately Scottish. George F. Black says it probably may be derived from the name of the island of Bute, which may be true as they lived in NW Ayrshire in and between Largs and Irvine, from 1200 on.

Is the last name Boyd of Irish origination?
For many people here, all they want is the origin of a name, and that is cool. I don't have sites like that, although others do, and am sure you will get some response.


However, something to bear in mind... just because a name "started" in one country 500 yrs ago or more, does not NECESSARILY mean that the person having it now is "Irish". The most reliable way to learn where ancestors came from, is to research the specific individual. For example, a person named Boyd could have migrated from Ireland to England in the 1600's; from England to Austrailia in the 1700's, from there to ?? in the 1800s. Or (as some people find to their surprise), in the process of tracing their lineage, they get back to gr gr grandpa in the 1850's, to stumble onto an adoption that no one knew about.


Boyd is a relatively common name. So.. not saying that someone has to get into genealogy itself, but it is far more reliable.
Reply:Boyd originated in Scotland but is now very common in the north-east of Ireland, especially Antrim, and also Donegal. It is unconnected with Boyce.