Bodich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bodich

What does the name Bodich mean?

The ancestry of the name Bodich dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the settlement of Bowditch, an estate in the county of Dorset. 1 The place name literally means "arched bridge ditch." 2

Early Origins of the Bodich family

The surname Bodich was first found in Dorset, in southern England, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

"The family of Bowditch anciently held in part a manor and farm in Chardstock, which bore their name. John Bowditch, of Chardstock, gent., had property there in the time of Elizabeth I." 3

Early History of the Bodich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodich research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1554, 1769, 1773, 1791, 1824 and 1838 are included under the topic Early Bodich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodich Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Bodich have been found, including Bowditch, Bowdich, Bowdidge and others.

Early Notables of the Bodich family

Distinguished members of the family include Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838), American mathematician and author of "Bowditch's American Practical Navigator," an encyclopedia of navigation.Thomas Bowdich (1791-1824), was an African traveller, born...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bodich Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bodich family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Bodich, or a variant listed above: Walter Bowditch arrived in Philadelphia in 1878; James Bowdidge settled in New England in 1774.

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.