UK surname

Bodfish

Derived from the Old English "bod" meaning messenger or officer and "fisc" meaning fish, originally referring to a fish messenger or officer.

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Bodfish surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 107, ranked #29,762, down from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tadmarton and Worplesdon , Ash. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Solihull and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bodfish is 169 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.0%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

107

2016, ranked #29,762

Peak year

1911

169 bearers

Map years

1881 to 2016

Key insights

• Bodfish had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016, ranked #29,762.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 169 in 1911.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Map

Bodfish surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bodfish surname density by area, 1881 census.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Bodfish 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	68	#21,302
1861	historical	58	#26,585
1881	historical	123	#17,506
1891	historical	122	#21,053
1901	historical	150	#18,075
1911	historical	169	#16,564
1997	modern	125	#23,567
1998	modern	128	#23,828
1999	modern	124	#24,508
2000	modern	118	#25,197
2001	modern	117	#24,974
2002	modern	126	#24,393
2003	modern	127	#24,019
2004	modern	131	#23,756
2005	modern	121	#24,947
2006	modern	119	#25,413
2007	modern	118	#25,913
2008	modern	113	#26,920
2009	modern	112	#27,685
2010	modern	110	#28,666
2011	modern	109	#28,653
2012	modern	102	#29,902
2013	modern	102	#30,415
2014	modern	107	#29,827
2015	modern	109	#29,327
2016	modern	107	#29,762

Geography

Where Bodfishs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tadmarton, Worplesdon , Ash, Blakesley, Pattishall and Harrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Solihull and Pembrokeshire. 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 3
2	Tadmarton	Oxfordshire
3	Worplesdon , Ash	Surrey
4	Blakesley, Pattishall	Northamptonshire
5	Harrington	Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Solihull 011	Solihull
2	Pembrokeshire 007	Pembrokeshire
3	Solihull 012	Solihull
4	Solihull 010	Solihull
5	Solihull 014	Solihull

Forenames

First names often paired with Bodfish

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

Historical female names

Mary Sarah Elizabeth Eliza Ellen Hannah Rose Ann Esther Emma

Historical male names

Thomas John George William James Arthur Joseph Ernest Isaac Charles

Recent female names

Dorothy Claire Jean Ruth Beatrice Sarah Annette Hazel Margaret Pauline

Recent male names

Paul Ian Stephen Timothy Andrew Michael John Daniel Darren Robert

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Bodfish

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Bodfish surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Bodfish household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Bodfish is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bodfish 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bodfish falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bodfish is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Bodfish

The surname BODFISH is of English origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the now-lost hamlet of Bodfis or Bodfys, located near Padstow in Cornwall. The name is thought to be derived from the Cornish words "bod" meaning dwelling or abode, and "fys" meaning either a stream or a personal name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BODFISH surname appears in the Cornish Subsidy Rolls of 1597, where a Thomas Bodfyshe is listed as a resident of Padstow. The name is also found in various parish records from the 17th and 18th centuries in the same region, often spelled as Bodfis, Bodfys, or Bodfyshe.

In the late 16th century, a John Bodfish was mentioned in the records of the Bodmin Assizes, suggesting that the family may have had connections to the nearby town of Bodmin. However, no specific details about this individual are known.

Notable individuals bearing the BODFISH surname include William Bodfish (1611-1683), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Padstow, who was instrumental in establishing the town's thriving fishing industry. His son, Samuel Bodfish (1642-1712), was a prominent figure in the local government and served as a justice of the peace.

Another figure of note is Thomas Bodfish (1765-1832), a sailor and explorer who was part of the crew of the HMS Resolution during Captain James Cook's third voyage to the Pacific Ocean. He later settled in Australia and is believed to have been one of the earliest European settlers in the colony of New South Wales.

In the literary world, Elizabeth Bodfish (1823-1897) was a notable English poet and author, best known for her collection of romantic verses titled "Echoes of the Heart" published in 1865. Her contemporary, John Bodfish (1820-1899), was a respected academic and scholar who served as the headmaster of Eton College from 1872 to 1888.

While the BODFISH surname is relatively uncommon today, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English family names, with its roots firmly planted in the historic county of Cornwall and its associations with the maritime traditions of that region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Bodfish families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bodfish 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. Warwickshire leads with 36 Bodfishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.90x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Warwickshire	36	0.00%	11.90x
Surrey	23	0.00%	3.93x
Northamptonshire	19	0.01%	16.84x
Oxfordshire	19	0.01%	25.64x
Middlesex	13	0.00%	1.08x
Leicestershire	10	0.00%	7.52x
Derbyshire	2	0.00%	1.06x
Lancashire	1	0.00%	0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 18 Bodfishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.85x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Birmingham	18	0.01%	17.85x
Harrington	12	5.63%	13333.33x
Tadmarton	12	3.36%	8000.00x
Aston	10	0.00%	12.00x
Frimley	10	0.25%	598.80x
Great Bowden	8	0.27%	661.16x
Barnes	6	0.10%	242.92x
Chelsea London	6	0.01%	16.60x
Leamington Priors	5	0.03%	67.11x
Mitcham	5	0.06%	135.14x
Bethnal Green London	4	0.00%	7.67x
Swalcliffe Sibford Gower	4	0.93%	2222.22x
St Pancras London	3	0.00%	3.11x
Woodend	3	1.30%	3333.33x
Blakesley	2	0.48%	1176.47x
Hasland	2	0.04%	104.71x
Melton Mowbray	2	0.03%	83.68x
W Adderbury	2	0.45%	1111.11x
Wellesbourne Mountford	2	0.28%	689.66x
Bramley	1	0.08%	192.31x
Edgbaston	1	0.00%	10.66x
Hulme	1	0.00%	3.36x
Lower Boddington	1	0.42%	1000.00x
Northampton All Sts	1	0.01%	26.11x
Stoke D Abernon	1	0.24%	588.24x
Swalcliffe	1	0.16%	384.62x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Sarah	8
Mary	6
Elizabeth	4
Alice	3
Esther	3
Jane	3
Eliza	2
Emily	2
Emma	2
Rose	2
Ada	1
Amy	1
Ann	1
Cecilia	1
Ellen	1
Ethel	1
Florence	1
Georgina	1
Hannah	1
Helen	1
Lily	1
Louisa	1
Louisia	1
Maggie	1
Margaret	1
Maria	1
Matilda	1
Maud	1
Minnie	1
Ruth	1
Susannah	1
Thurza	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
George	9
John	6
Thomas	6
James	5
William	5
Joseph	4
Daniel	3
Henry	3
Isaac	3
Arthur	2
Reuben	2
Tom	2
Alfred	1
Ambrose	1
Andrew	1
Charles	1
Edwin	1
Ernest	1
Frank	1
Frederick	1
Harry	1
Jesse	1
Job	1
Lewis	1
Luke	1
Martin	1
Samuel	1
Walter	1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bodfish households.

Occupation	Count
Scholar	26
Ag Labourer	8
Agricultural Laborer	3
Ag Lab	2
Blacksmith	2
Laundress	2
Ag Lab Wife	1
Agricultural Laborer Wife	1
Agricultural Labourer	1
Agricultural Shepherd	1
Agricultural Shepherd Wife	1
Brewer	1
Carpenter	1
Coal Carter	1
Coffee House Manager	1
Domestic Housekeeper	1
Domestic Servant	1
Domestic Servt	1
Dressmaker & Coal Dealer	1
Farm Laborer	1
General Servant	1
Horsekeeper	1
Journeyman Brewer	1
Journeyman Wife	1
Labourer	1
Lacquerer	1
Ladys Maid Dom Serv	1
Lithographic Printer (Unemployed)	1
None	1
Nurse Girl (D)	1
Nursemaid Domestic	1
Packer	1
Pen Worker	1
Percussion Cap Presser	1
Police Constable	1
Policeman	1
Porter Inn Serv	1
Railway Lab	1
Railway Servant	1
Servant	1
Servt Cook	1
Shop Boy (Messr)	1
Sofa Maker (Cabn)	1
Spoon Polisher (Dom & Mmmr)	1
Staff Sergt Royal Artillery	1
Tailor	1
Tube Finisher	1
Wire Drawer	1

Botfish

FAQ

Bodfish surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bodfish surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Bodfish surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bodfish surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016. That gives Bodfish a modern rank of #29,762.

What does the Bodfish surname mean?