Show ContentsBodge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The proud Norman name of Bodge was developed in England soon after Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was name for a a person who habitually dresses in drab or murky colors. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English word bis, meaning dingy or murky.

Early Origins of the Bodge family

The surname Bodge was first found in Hertfordshire where they held a family seat from early times, soon after the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William in 1066 A.D. They were descended from Aluric Bysch, a Norman noble, who attended William at the Battle of Hastings.

Early History of the Bodge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodge research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1615, 1679, 1712 and 1833 are included under the topic Early Bodge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodge Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Bodge have been found, including Bysh, Bish, Bishe, Byshe, Bisshe, Bysshe and others.

Early Notables of the Bodge family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Stapleton Bish, founder of Exeter College in Oxford; and Sir Edward Bysshe FRS (c. 1615-1679), an English barrister, politician and Garter King of Arms. He was the eldest son of Edward Bysshe of Burstow, Surrey, a barrister of Lincoln's Inn. His ancestors were lords...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bodge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bodge migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bodge were among those contributors:

Bodge Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • A Bodge, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 1


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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