The most likely is an alternative meaning of "bot", flounder. The name would then have the meaning of "fish axe". Perhaps this refered to his trade. My preference is an ax shaped like a flounder. The double bladed hatchet. The flounder was on the coat of arms of Botland in the 17th century.

In 1585, many of the Reformationist fled the bloody Catholic persecution and moved to Nassau-Brabant. It was under Hapsberp rule and the nearest Protestant land. The area had been devastated by the Saint Elisabeth flood the previous century and had room for the refugees.

On the edge of the Biesbosch, in the area of Lage and Hoge Zwaluwe, is where Cornelis and his family settled (based on church records). Since use of the surname continued, it seems like it had a prideful connotation.

 
Several generations later, some of the Botbijls migrated to Zeeland and the name made occasional transformations to Bodbijl. Some of this can be blamed on the dialect interpretation of the record keepers. At least one instance is known that the children of a Botbijl and his first wife all carried the surname Botbijl but the children of his second wife were Bodbijl. In census records Botbijl and Bodbijl were listed as cousins. At times, the "d" and the "t" seemed to be interchangeable. In English, we would consider the pronunciation of the "t" as a hard "t" which could easily cause the confusion. Two Bodbijls that emigrated to English speaking countries changed their name to the anglicized spelling, Botbyl.

In doing my research, I found that some of the Botbijl and Bodbijl cousins felt there was no connection between them. "We are not related to Bo*bijl" was a common responce. I was told of a Bodbijl man that would refuse his mail, if his name was spelled Botbijl. Mr. Berrevoets research has proven that we are all related.