Show ContentsBodman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Bodman

What does the name Bodman mean?

The surname Bodman is of local derivation. The family name is derived from the place name Bodmann, a barony on the shores of the Lake of Constance, which straddles the German, Swiss, and Austrian borders. Many German family names were derived from the names of small villages, royal or noble households, and even large religious dwellings and monasteries.

Early Origins of the Bodman family

The surname Bodman was first found in Swabia, where the family is considered to have made a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Ancient chronicles suggest that the oldest and most prominent line of the family stems from the old counts of Lindau on Lake Constance. Indeed, the founding father was made count of the castle Bodmann on Lake Constance by Duke Varin of Alemania in the year 720 A.D. Around 930 A.D., Caspar von Bodmann distinguished himself under Kaiser Heinrich I in battles against the Hungarian tribes. In the 10th century, the family split into two main lines, the Bodmann and the Hohen-Bodmann, the latter having their seat in the village of the same name on Lake Ueberling.

Early History of the Bodman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodman research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1651, 1686, 1691 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Bodman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bodmann, Bodman, Boddmann, Boddman, Baudmann, Baudman, Bauddmann and many more.

Early Notables of the Bodman family

Notables with the surname Bodman during this period were

  • Johannes Wolfgang Reichsfreiherr von Bodman (1651-1691), Auxiliary bishop of Konstanz (Germany) since 1686


Bodman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bodman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Andrew Bodman, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 1
  • Edward Bodman, who landed in Maryland in 1679 1
Bodman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ulrich Bodman, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1732

Bodman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bodman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Bodman, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 26th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2
  • Miss Margaret Bodman, (b. 1835), aged 17, Cornish domestic servant departing from Plymouth on 29th August 1852 aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 14th December 1852 3

Bodman migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 4
Bodman Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Richard Bodman, aged 23, who arrived in St Christopher in 1635 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Bodman (post 1700) +

  • Samuel Wright Bodman III (b. 1938), American engineer and administrator, US Secretary of Energy and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department
  • Dr. Herbert L Bodman, Professor Emeritus of History at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Anthony Arthur Bodman (1921-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 5


  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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asiatic
  3. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  5. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp


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