NameCensus.

UK surname

Boddy

An English occupational surname referring to a messenger or servant, derived from the Middle English term "bode."

In the 1881 census there were 1,667 people recorded with the Boddy surname, ranking it #2,580 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,300, ranked #2,823, down from #2,580 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity and Stranton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Mid Devon and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boddy is 2,550 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.0%.

1881 census count

1,667

Ranked #2,580

Modern count

2,300

2016, ranked #2,823

Peak year

1999

2,550 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boddy had 1,667 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,580 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,300 in 2016, ranked #2,823.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,470 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Boddy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boddy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boddy 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 929 #2,975
1861 historical 922 #3,010
1881 historical 1,667 #2,580
1891 historical 1,937 #2,380
1901 historical 2,219 #2,437
1911 historical 2,470 #2,078
1997 modern 2,444 #2,572
1998 modern 2,540 #2,573
1999 modern 2,550 #2,581
2000 modern 2,499 #2,620
2001 modern 2,453 #2,604
2002 modern 2,521 #2,596
2003 modern 2,423 #2,636
2004 modern 2,412 #2,644
2005 modern 2,335 #2,693
2006 modern 2,300 #2,722
2007 modern 2,324 #2,726
2008 modern 2,337 #2,731
2009 modern 2,394 #2,741
2010 modern 2,459 #2,732
2011 modern 2,429 #2,734
2012 modern 2,365 #2,747
2013 modern 2,383 #2,770
2014 modern 2,379 #2,787
2015 modern 2,325 #2,814
2016 modern 2,300 #2,823

Geography

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Where Boddys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity, Stranton and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Mid Devon, Hartlepool, Scarborough and Newark and Sherwood. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stranton Durham
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 059 County Durham
2 Mid Devon 011 Mid Devon
3 Hartlepool 014 Hartlepool
4 Scarborough 004 Scarborough
5 Newark and Sherwood 011 Newark and Sherwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boddy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boddy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boddy, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Boddy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Boddy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Boddy is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Boddy 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

Boddy falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Boddy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Boddy

The surname Boddy is of English origin and is believed to have derived from a nickname for a stout or corpulent person. It is thought to be a diminutive of the Middle English word "bodie," meaning body or trunk.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Boddy dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where one Robert Bodie is mentioned. This suggests that the name was well-established in Yorkshire by this time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Bodie, Bodye, and Boddy in records from counties like Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of England by this period.

The Domesday Book, a great survey of England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname Boddy. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Boddington in Gloucestershire and Bodington in Northamptonshire.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Boddy was Sir Thomas Boddy, a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1538. He played a significant role in the city's governance during the reign of Henry VIII.

In the 17th century, John Boddy (1615-1696) was a prominent English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War.

Another notable figure was William Boddy (1809-1892), an English architect and surveyor who designed numerous churches and public buildings in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas.

The 19th century also saw the birth of Harriet Boddy (1835-1910), a pioneering female archaeologist who conducted excavations and made significant contributions to the understanding of ancient Roman Britain.

More recently, Nigel Boddy (1938-2021) was a renowned English chess player and author, widely recognized for his expertise in chess openings and endgame theory.

While the surname Boddy has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, with notable bearers of the name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boddy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boddy 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. Yorkshire leads with 551 Boddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.44x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 551 3.44x
Durham 185 3.84x
Middlesex 180 1.11x
Surrey 113 1.43x
Norfolk 98 3.94x
Buckinghamshire 89 9.10x
Lancashire 68 0.35x
Lincolnshire 47 1.82x
Devon 43 1.28x
Kent 39 0.71x
Cheshire 30 0.84x
Hertfordshire 30 2.69x
Nottinghamshire 30 1.38x
Essex 18 0.56x
Somerset 17 0.65x
Cornwall 14 0.76x
Leicestershire 12 0.67x
Flintshire 11 2.53x
Brecknockshire 9 2.78x
Glamorgan 8 0.28x
Warwickshire 8 0.20x
Berkshire 7 0.58x
Derbyshire 7 0.28x
Northumberland 7 0.29x
Sussex 7 0.26x
Hampshire 5 0.15x
Staffordshire 5 0.09x
Gloucestershire 4 0.13x
Herefordshire 4 0.60x
Oxfordshire 4 0.40x
Worcestershire 3 0.14x
Renfrewshire 2 0.16x
Ayrshire 1 0.08x
Fife 1 0.10x
Merionethshire 1 0.34x
Suffolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 42 Boddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.89x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 42 10.89x
Crediton 41 128.45x
Lambeth 36 2.55x
Stranton 35 21.59x
Bethnal Green London 28 3.98x
Richmond 26 23.53x
Darlington 25 13.45x
Shildon 25 64.62x
Seer Green 22 1202.19x
St Pancras London 22 1.69x
Sinderby 17 2656.25x
Great Marlow 16 60.58x
Scarborough 16 10.98x
Burley In Wharfdale 15 105.93x
Hillingdon 15 29.07x
Hulme 15 3.74x
Ripon 15 40.32x
Scalby In Scarborough 15 451.81x
Woolwich 14 6.86x
Leeds 13 1.44x
Paddington London 13 2.18x
Tottenham 13 5.04x
Camberwell 12 1.16x
Elton 12 18.09x
Linthorpe 12 12.54x
Harpley 11 468.09x
Shipley 11 13.22x
St Levan 11 332.33x
Wanstead 11 19.66x
Hartoft 10 1250.00x
Kirkby Moorside 10 97.94x
Westoe 10 3.66x
Acomb 9 107.40x
Bedale 9 154.11x
Chalfont St Giles 9 128.39x
Chester St John Baptist 9 14.02x
Didlington 9 1698.11x
Great Driffield 9 27.35x
Hedgerley Dean 9 796.46x
Islington London 9 0.57x
Kirby Wiske 9 731.71x
Llangenny 9 321.43x
Preston Le Skerne 9 1200.00x
Rickmansworth 9 29.31x
York St Michael Le 9 173.41x
Battersea 8 1.34x
Gateshead 8 2.22x
Great Hale 8 204.08x
Lartington 8 689.66x
Layston 8 134.68x
Northallerton 8 39.08x
Norwich St John Timberhill 8 119.58x
Ormesby 8 18.56x
Pickhill With Roxby 8 512.82x
Romanby 8 344.83x
Rotherham 8 8.85x
St George Hanover Square 8 2.81x
Whitton 8 211.08x
Armley 7 9.90x
Beaconsfield 7 77.26x
Boughton 7 426.83x
Bow London 7 3.40x
Crook Billy Row 7 11.35x
Croydon 7 1.60x
Deptford St Paul 7 1.64x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 2.15x
Gainford 7 140.85x
Gooderstone 7 259.26x
Hawarden 7 20.49x
Headingley Cum Burley 7 6.78x
Idle 7 9.41x
Isleworth 7 9.73x
Manchester 7 0.81x
Marlston Cum Lache 7 1000.00x
Northowram 7 6.23x
Pannal 7 45.48x
Salford 7 1.24x
Hedsor 6 697.67x
Horton In Bradford 6 2.40x
Walesby 6 384.62x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 108
William 98
Thomas 66
George 55
James 53
Henry 37
Joseph 28
Robert 25
Charles 21
Alfred 16
Harry 14
Richard 13
Arthur 12
Edward 11
Frederick 10
Ernest 9
Herbert 9
Albert 8
Francis 8
Christopher 7
Samuel 7
Benjamin 6
Walter 5
Wm. 5
Alexander 4
Edwin 4
Fred 4
Mark 4
Archibald 3
Barnard 3
Christr. 3
David 3
Frank 3
Frederic 3
Fredk. 3
Jno. 3
Percy 3
Peter 3
Thos. 3
Andrew 2
Anthony 2
Charley 2
Chas. 2
Earnest 2
Edmund 2
Edwd. 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Joshua 2
Thompson 2

FAQ

Boddy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boddy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,667 people were recorded with the Boddy surname. That placed it at #2,580 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boddy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,300 in 2016. That gives Boddy a modern rank of #2,823.

What does the Boddy surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a messenger or servant, derived from the Middle English term "bode."

What does the Boddy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Boddy 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.