Biéville-Beuville
Biéville-Beuville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. The hyphenated name originates from the parishes of Biéville-sur-Orne and Beuville, which were united in the 1970s. Toponymy. The name "Biéville" is believed to come from the Old German name "Boio" or "Boia" combined with the Old French "ville", meaning farm. Biéville was recorded as "Boiavilla" in 1082. Residents (of the combined town) are still known as "Boevillais". Similarly, "Beuville" is believed to come from the Old German name "Bodo". It was recorded as "Bodvilla" in 1134. Norman settlers from  the area in Scotland and England carried surnames such as "de Bouvelles", "de Bovelles", "de Boyuille" and "de Boyuill", and are believed to be the origin of the common surnames Boyle and Bowles. History. Until the middle of the 16th century, the seignory of Beuville remained in the hands of the de Beuville family. In 1770, it fell to the Lecocq family; Louis Lecocq was the last lord of Beuville before the French Revolution overthrew the nobility. The lordship of Bieville was a "fiefferme" (a fiefdom owned by the crown but leased to a local lord). The lords of Biéville  were less powerful than the lords of other seignories such as Beuville, as their lands were not centralized. The lords of Biéville operated several other significant estates, including Rubercy, la Vallée, Balleroy, and la Londe. During the Second World War, the British fought the Germans for more than a month nearby. The two parishes were united to form one commune in 1972.