​The word Boycott is an eponym (A word which comes from a name), and is named for Charles Boycott who was a British land agent in 1880 for an English Lord who owned land in Ireland after it was taken by the British.

Boycott’s role was managing the workers of the land, amongst which there was growing discontent about the poor conditions and high rents. Throughout Ireland hostility towards the English was growing and the Irish land league convinced the workers to stop tending the farm until they were given better conditions. Local shops and the postal services also stopped serving Boycott. The plan worked and from then on the process was called Boycotting