Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• La Hulle 1274 Drew

• Hulle 1290 Ch c.1325 GlastE 1360 Cl 1381 Fine 1382,1405 Cl

• Hille 1301 Banco

• Hull alias Candel Hull alias Boywood 1624 Hutch3

• Hull or Boyswood 1795 Boswell

• Hull, Candel Hull or Boywood 1869 Hutch3

• Boywood 1642 Bundy

• Boyford 1811 OS

Etymology

The earlier name is from hyll 'hill', probably referring to the small hill just W of Boywood Fm. Candel Hull is probably a spurious form, arising from a misunderstanding of contexts such as that in 1382 Cl, where the Wake family are recorded as holding the 'manors of Caundelle (= Caundle Wake in Bps. Caundle par. infra ), Hulle and Stoke Wake (= Stoke W. par. supra )'. The later name Boywood may be from the Boys family ('who seem to have had some concern in this parish' Hutch3 3 725), but it is perhaps more likely that the first el. is boi(a) 'boy, servant' or the OE  pers.n. Boia , v. wudu .