The Boal surname is a variant of Bowell and Boyle. It is common in people of English, Welsh, and Irish descent. In Ireland it is a variant of Boyle while in northern Ireland it developed from the name Bowell.
Notable people with the surname include:
Augusto Boal (1931-2009), Brazilian theater directorCarmine Boal (born 1956), American politicianDesmond Boal (born 1929 ), Northern Ireland politician and barristerDon Boal (1907–1953), Canadian rowerIain Boal, Irish social historianMark Boal (born 1973), American journalist, screenwriter and film producerPeter Boal (born 1965), American balletmaster and former New York City Ballet principalRobert Boal (1806–1903), American politician and physicianTheodore Davis Boal (1867–1938), American army veteran (Colonel) and architectWalter Boal (born c. 1879), All-American football player and hammer throwerWilliam Boal (died 1970), imprisoned for association with Mail Train robbery in 1963