Boe
A surname with several possible origins, most likely from a nickname or a Gaelic form meaning “red-haired.”
The #8,556 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 80,194 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Boe has been explained in more than one way in older surname books. One line of explanation treats it as a nickname, possibly from Middle English words for a roe deer or from a personal nickname related to appearance or character. Another older source explicitly gives a Gaelic sense of “red-haired,” which may reflect a different family line or a similar-sounding name in Gaelic contexts. Because the evidence is mixed and some 19th-century explanations are speculative, the name is best treated as having uncertain or multiple origins.
History
The name appears in English and Scottish surname material, but it is not common. It is also found in Manx and Gaelic discussions, where similar short forms can be tied to local place-names or descriptive nicknames. In modern records, Boe survives as a relatively rare surname in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Manx place-name studies, Boe can also appear as part of local names referring to a notable rock formation, showing how short surnames and place-words can overlap.
From the historical record
“BOE BONFELLOW. Perhaps a partial trauslatiou of cither Gooclfellow or Bon- comjDaguon. BONHAM. Although no place so called appears in tlie topograpliical dictionaries, this -would ajDpear to be, lilvc Bonbj', Bon- church, &c., the name of some locality. There was, howcA'er, a religious order called”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom