hi I am trying to research my name and it's origins. Also searching for a possible coat of arms if one exsists...I read somewhere that the name Drinkwine is a trnslation from the name Boivin... anyone have any info on this?

Yes it was often translated to Drinkwine.
I have the coat of arms that was displayed
at the first annual Boivin gathering in Quebec
City a few years ago. Think I could scan it
in and send to you or can send you a color photocopy
if you send me a mailing address.

that would be great if you could do either of those things.. scan and email it or mail me a color photocopy...I was appreciate that so much.. my email address is Mdrinkwine2000@hotmail.com

It occurs to me that the coat of arms is shown on the Boivin home page. Take a look http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/6973/english.html

Hi, just came across your question on the above names. I must tell you that their are two different families. One is turely Boivin and are french and then there is another family the Drinkwines, who, tho from Canada to the United States, were in fact English subjects. My family Louis Drinkwine and Margaret Langway King Drinkwine are the English branch as far back as I have traced them. I had a problem with the names being changed every once in a while, so we have Boivins' and Drinkwines in our line. Originally it is Drinkwine. In your research be sure you keep the line pure. I do know af an Antoine Boivin in Vermont, not a Drinkwine. Hope this helps you some on the names.

The Drinkwine name comes from the Boivin name. I have two distinct lines in my database. One in Vermont and the other in Michigan (largest line).

I have Louis all the way back to France as a Boivin. Louis' wife Margaret's family name of King-Langway can be found as ROY-LAISNE, ROY-LALIBERTE, LALIBERTE-LAISNE, ROY-LAINE, BOIROUX-LALIBERTE, ROY-LANSIER. Check out her baptism certificate.
The reason you are finding State references to the name Drinkwine is because the State official couldn't understand what they said and asked what it meant. People with French sounding names were treated as 2nd class citizens. There was even a Federally sponsored program where government official purposely went out of their way to diminish Franco-American's links with their French past by having their names misspelled in government records (Le Vesque instead of L'Evesque, Gotchy instead of Gauthier, Le Duc instead of Leduc). It was done with 1st names also (Veronica instead of Veronique, Mary instead of Marie, John instead of Jean).

I have the Oxford books of names. Drinkwine is not an English name.
Some Boivin's left France and went to England (Huguenots).
106 Boivin's left Canada and moved to England (according to the Oxford books) from 1765 to 1900.
No Boivin's came to Canada from England and stayed.
The English never translated the name to Drinkwine because they recognized it as a Celtic (Gaulois) name that had nothing to do with drinking or wine but where the person comes from.
Most Boivin's in England still spell the name the same way. Some spell it the older ways ( Boisvin, Boyvin) and some spell it Bovan (less than 5%).

I have been to your site. It was interesting.

The coat-of-arms at the Association of Boivin's of America homepage was made up by the members at the prompting of their Executive.
I have 3 different examples of Boivin coats-of-arms (2 from Normandie and 1 from Bretagne). They are quite different.
I also have another that my father found when he was in Europe but I doubt it's authenticity.

drinkwine is the english translation of boivin I have some relatives who use both names, I quess it depends on there mood.. I also have a newspaper clipping stating that drinkwine is the english translation of the french name boivin and that one man uses both names..

hi
Well i am doing the same thing that you are doing.And yes the name boivin changed into the name drinkwine over 200 years ago. when we came over here they changed are last name to drinkwine. And that is how are last names became drinkwine. And if you have any info on the drinkwines familey can u send it cuz i am doing this report in school and i need to know some more info on us..

Jamie