Boekel ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands.

The name Boekel can be explained bij the word "loo" the Dutch word for forrest from de heeren Boc and fits in the same category as places like Boxmeer and Boxtel. The heeren Boc was seen as the first lord of van Boxmeer, but has no connection to the other two places.

In present time is presumed that the name is derived from Beukeloo ofwel Beukenbos.

Boekel is founded somewhere in the Middle Ages as a settlement of a number of farms.

In the 13th century Boekel was part of de heerlijkheid Uden. In 1233 a separation took place between the Land van Cuijk and the Land van Herpen and Uden. At that time Uden together with Herpen formed a from of government called a heerlijkheid. Until the foundation of the city of Ravenstein, Herpen was the main city of this region. Rutger van Herpen sold or leased 1313 of 1314 the community rights (gemene gronden) to the residents of Boekel and Volkel. When the noble lord wanted to improve its cash position, then he charges the use of any of its soils, beginning with the wasteland in his heerlijkheid. This common land should particularly think of marshy land and barren higher grounds, such as heaths.