NameCensus.

UK surname

Bodden

Habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Bodden in northern Germany.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Bodden surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Paddington, St Pancras and Llanfawr, Llandderfel. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Denbighshire, Drumoyne and Shieldhall and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bodden is 142 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.3%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

2016

142 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bodden had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Bodden surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bodden surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bodden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bodden over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 80 #19,558
1861 historical 135 #16,651
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 117 #21,658
1901 historical 85 #24,636
1911 historical 68 #26,050
1997 modern 88 #28,611
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 103 #27,305
2000 modern 93 #28,701
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 104 #27,303
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 104 #27,338
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 108 #27,391
2008 modern 110 #27,391
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Boddens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Paddington, St Pancras, Llanfawr, Llandderfel, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Denbighshire, Drumoyne and Shieldhall, Stoke-on-Trent and Rochdale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Paddington London (West Districts)
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Llanfawr, Llandderfel Merionethshire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Denbighshire 016 Denbighshire
2 Drumoyne and Shieldhall Glasgow City
3 Stoke-on-Trent 004 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Stoke-on-Trent 012 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Rochdale 018 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bodden

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bodden surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bodden

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bodden, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Bodden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bodden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bodden is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bodden is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bodden falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bodden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bodden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bodden

The surname Bodden is of German origin, and it is thought to have emerged in the 14th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "boden," which means "ground" or "soil." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or worked with the land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bodden can be found in a document from the year 1398, which mentions a person named Hans Bodden. This document is part of the archives of the city of Cologne, Germany.

In the 16th century, the name Bodden appeared in various records and manuscripts from the region of Saxony, Germany. For example, a document from 1543 mentions a Jakob Bodden, who was a landowner in the town of Zwickau.

The surname Bodden is also associated with several place names in Germany. For instance, there is a village called Bodden in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and a lake called the Bodden Lagoon on the Baltic Sea coast.

Notable individuals with the surname Bodden throughout history include:

1. Gottfried Bodden (1675-1742), a German composer and organist who lived in the city of Lübeck.

2. Friedrich Bodden (1804-1877), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament in 1848.

3. Hedwig Bodden (1879-1962), a German artist and painter known for her landscape and still-life paintings.

4. Erich Bodden (1892-1955), a German military officer who served in World War I and World War II, reaching the rank of Major General.

5. Hans-Jürgen Bodden (1932-2007), a German actor and voice actor who worked in theater, film, and television.

It is important to note that while the surname Bodden has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and various historical events.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bodden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bodden surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 23 Boddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 23 2.65x
Middlesex 9 1.23x
Merionethshire 7 52.28x
Midlothian 7 7.14x
Wigtownshire 6 61.79x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 47.21x
Cumberland 4 6.35x
Dumfriesshire 3 18.56x
Dunbartonshire 3 15.26x
Kent 2 0.80x
Warwickshire 2 1.08x
Ayrshire 1 1.83x
Renfrewshire 1 1.76x
Sussex 1 0.81x
Yorkshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 7 Boddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.75x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 17.75x
Llandderfel 7 2692.31x
Paddington London 7 26.02x
Oldham 6 21.41x
Stoneykirk 6 869.57x
Balmaclellan 4 1666.67x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 61.26x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 29.01x
Hayton 4 1111.11x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 15.81x
Gorton 3 36.76x
Kilmaronock 3 1304.35x
Kirkconnell 3 1153.85x
Coventry Holy Trinity 2 36.30x
Herne 2 180.18x
St Pancras London 2 3.40x
Ayr 1 38.76x
Brighton 1 4.02x
Cathcart 1 32.57x
Dalry 1 400.00x
Kirkdale 1 6.85x
Middlesbrough 1 10.59x
Preston 1 4.31x
Wavertree 1 35.97x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bodden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 3
Ann 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Margt. 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Clara 1
Elen 1
Elizabeth 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Maud 1
Ruth 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bodden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Bodden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bodden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Bodden surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bodden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Bodden a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Bodden surname mean?

Habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Bodden in northern Germany.

What does the Bodden map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bodden bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.