NameCensus.

UK surname

Bodin

A French occupational surname for a maker or seller of measures or for a surveyor or messenger.

In the 1881 census there were 103 people recorded with the Bodin surname, ranking it #19,410 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 159, ranked #22,798, down from #19,410 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, Dudley and St Mary Magdalen. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Dudley and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bodin is 163 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.4%.

1881 census count

103

Ranked #19,410

Modern count

159

2016, ranked #22,798

Peak year

2014

163 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bodin had 103 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,410 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016, ranked #22,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 162 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bodin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bodin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bodin 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 102 #16,933
1861 historical 72 #24,643
1881 historical 103 #19,410
1891 historical 162 #17,390
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 140 #22,031
1998 modern 136 #23,013
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 130 #23,457
2002 modern 137 #23,198
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 121 #24,947
2006 modern 133 #23,711
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 141 #24,460
2011 modern 141 #24,294
2012 modern 148 #23,457
2013 modern 159 #22,706
2014 modern 163 #22,547
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 159 #22,798

Geography

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Where Bodins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, Dudley, St Mary Magdalen, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Dudley, Tendring and Wiltshire. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 St Mary Magdalen Kent
4 Wednesbury Staffordshire
5 West Bromwich Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 022 Sandwell
2 Dudley 006 Dudley
3 Tendring 001 Tendring
4 Wiltshire 003 Wiltshire
5 Dudley 019 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bodin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bodin

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bodin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bodin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bodin 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

Bodin is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bodin 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bodin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bodin

The surname Bodin is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "bodin" which meant "plump" or "fat." It first appeared in the early 12th century in various regions of northern France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany.

The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Guillelmus Bodin, who was mentioned in the Cartulaire de Beaumont-le-Roger, a medieval document from the 12th century. Another early reference can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois d'Arras, a register of citizens from the city of Arras, which lists several individuals with the surname Bodin in the 13th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name Bodin was also found in various forms, such as Bodyn, Boudin, and Boudyn, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable bearer was Jean Bodin (1530-1596), a French philosopher and political theorist who wrote the influential work "Six Books of the Commonwealth."

In England, the name Bodin appeared after the Norman Conquest of 1066, carried by Norman settlers who accompanied William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book, a great survey of England completed in 1086, records several individuals with the name, including Radulfus Bodin and Robertus Bodin.

Another significant figure was Samuel Bodin (1676-1737), a French Protestant refugee who fled to England during the religious persecutions of the late 17th century. He became a successful merchant and philanthropist in London.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bodin include Félix Bodin (1795-1857), a French botanist and paleontologist; Camille Bodin (1870-1918), a French artist and lithographer; and André Bodin (1920-2004), a French politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bodin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bodin 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. Worcestershire leads with 26 Bodins recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.63x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 26 19.63x
Kent 15 4.33x
Derbyshire 14 8.82x
Staffordshire 13 3.80x
Lanarkshire 8 2.44x
Warwickshire 6 2.35x
Lancashire 5 0.42x
Middlesex 5 0.49x
Durham 4 1.33x
Nottinghamshire 4 2.93x
Cornwall 1 0.87x
Leicestershire 1 0.89x
Renfrewshire 1 1.27x
Yorkshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 26 Bodins recorded in 1881 and an index of 161.49x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 26 161.49x
Derby St Peter 10 197.63x
Kingswinford 10 80.45x
Canterbury St Mary 8 344.83x
Atherstone 6 458.02x
Gorbals 5 256.41x
Deptford St Paul 4 14.99x
Hartshorn 4 666.67x
Manchester 4 7.39x
Radford 4 57.55x
Govan 3 3.70x
Poplar London 3 15.67x
Eynsford 2 338.98x
Mile End Old Town London 2 9.26x
Tudhoe 2 75.76x
Wednesbury 2 23.36x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.23x
Conisbrough 1 106.38x
Darenth 1 188.68x
East Greenock 1 13.48x
East Rainton 1 172.41x
Hinckley 1 37.45x
Mawgan In Meneage 1 333.33x
Sedgley 1 7.86x
Westoe 1 5.84x

Top female names

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

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 Bodin households.

FAQ

Bodin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bodin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 103 people were recorded with the Bodin surname. That placed it at #19,410 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bodin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016. That gives Bodin a modern rank of #22,798.

What does the Bodin surname mean?

A French occupational surname for a maker or seller of measures or for a surveyor or messenger.

What does the Bodin map show?

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