NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Boden

A masculine name of English origin meaning "level ground" or "soil".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Boden is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Boden popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #857, with 37 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 41 births.

This profile covers 312 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 90% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 317 living people in the UK are called Boden. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Boden ranked #857 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 37 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 41 boys were registered as Boden.
  • Boden ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
  • About 317 living people in the UK are estimated to have Boden as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#857

2024

Births in 2024

37

Latest year

Peak year

2021

41 births

Estimated living

317

2026

Meaning

What does Boden mean?

The given name Boden is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "boden," which means "messenger" or "one who makes announcements." This name has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon period, dating back to the 5th to 11th centuries AD.

In the early days, the name Boden was likely associated with individuals who served as messengers or heralds, carrying important news or announcements between villages or kingdoms. It may have also been used to denote someone who had the role of a town crier or a public announcer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boden can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 AD by order of William the Conqueror. This document contains records of land ownership and taxation in England, and it lists several individuals with the name Boden or variations of it.

Throughout history, there have been notable individuals who bore the name Boden. One such person was John Boden (1615-1672), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Guide for the Penitent" and "The Believer's Triumph Over Death."

Another notable figure was Thomas Boden (1600-1663), an English politician and member of Parliament who played a role in the English Civil War. He initially supported the Parliamentarian cause but later switched sides and became a supporter of King Charles I.

In the realm of literature, we find Boden Frank (1862-1935), an American novelist and short story writer known for works such as "The Unwilling Vestal" and "The Daughter of a Magnate." He was born in New York City and spent much of his life writing and teaching.

Moving to the 20th century, there was Boden Clarke (1884-1961), a British artist and illustrator who gained recognition for his paintings of landscapes and rural scenes. He was born in London and was a member of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Finally, we have Boden Westcott (1870-1957), a British archaeologist and Egyptologist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Egyptian civilization. He led excavations in various sites in Egypt, including the Valley of the Kings, and discovered several notable artifacts and tombs.

While the name Boden may not be as common today as it once was, it carries a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, politicians, writers, artists, and scholars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Boden over time

The chart below shows babies named Boden registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Boden, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 37 births in 2024, compared with 41 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Boden
010213141199820112024

Decades

Boden by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Boden was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #849 184 5
2010s #2699 100 10
2000s #3124 24 5
1990s #2419 4 1

Geography

Where Boden is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Boden. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Boden ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Boden in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#727 in 2024

2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered

Related

Names similar to Boden

FAQ

Boden: questions and answers

How popular is the name Boden in the UK right now?

In 2024, Boden was ranked #857 for boys in England and Wales, with 37 births registered.

When was Boden most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 41 babies registered as Boden in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Boden?

A masculine name of English origin meaning "level ground" or "soil".

How many people are called Boden in the UK?

A total of 312 babies have been registered as Boden across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.

Where is Boden most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Boden ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #727 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.