Bodds History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the name Bodds goes back those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain. Such a name was given to a person with a striking physique.

Early Origins of the Bodds family

The surname Bodds was first found in Hampshire where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Bodds family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodds research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1296, 1597, 1688 and 1754 are included under the topic Early Bodds History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodds Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bodds family name include Body, Boddy, Boddie, Bodie, Bode, Bodhy, Bodin, Bott, Botter, Bodds, Bods, Botty and many more.

Early Notables of the Bodds family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bodds Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bodds family to Ireland

Some of the Bodds family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bodds family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Bodds or a variant listed above: Thomas Body who settled in Virginia in 1636; followed by Robert in 1645; John Body settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; John Bodie settled in Frederick county Maryland in 1794.