Bodnar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Bodnar comes from the family having resided in either of the places called Bodenham, in Herefordshire and Wiltshire, or in the settlement of Bodham, in Norfolk. The place-names are derived from the Old English personal name Bota, which experts theorize is derived from the Old German boto, from the Germanic root bud, which means to announce, and the Old English word ham which means homestead or settlement. Thus, the surname signifies a person who lived at or near Bota's settlement.

Early Origins of the Bodnar family

The surname Bodnar was first found in Herefordshire at Bodenham, a parish, and anciently a market-town, in the union of Leominster, hundred of Broxash 1 situated on a bend in the River Lugg, about seven miles south of Leominster. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Bodeham 2 and literally meant "homestead or river-bend of land or a man called Boda," from the Old English personal name + "hamm." 3

Hugh de Bodenham, Lord of Bodenham, grandfather of Roger who lived in the reign of Henry III is the ancestor of the family. 4

Early rolls give a glimpse of the many spelling in use over the centuries. Robert de Bedingham was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Norfolk in 1206; William de Bedyngeham was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and Richard Bedyngham was recorded in 1461. 5

Early History of the Bodnar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodnar research. Another 236 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1206, 1273, 1296, 1401, 1403, 1409, 1461, 1525, 1559 and 1610 are included under the topic Early Bodnar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodnar Spelling Variations

Bodnar has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Bedingham, Beddingham, Bedinham, Bodingham, Bedyngham, Bedyngeham and many more.

Early Notables of the Bodnar family

Distinguished members of the family include John Bodenham, High Sheriff of Herefordshire (1401-1403); John Bodenham, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1409; John Bodenham (c. 1559-1610), an anthologist and...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bodnar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodnar Ranking

In the United States, the name Bodnar is the 8,323^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Bodnar migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Bodnars to arrive on North American shores:

Bodnar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Georg Bodnar, who arrived in Iowa in 1852 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Bodnar (post 1700) +

Andrew Bodnar, English bass player, best known for his work with Graham Parker and The Rumour in the late 1970s
Tibor Bodnár (1955-2022), Hungarian sports shooter who competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics and the 1980 Summer Olympics
Mirek Bodnar (b. 1985), Ukrainian poet and translator
Lajos Bodnar, Hungarian silver medalist sprint canoer at the 1958 World Championships
Morris P. Bodnar (b. 1948), Canadian former politician, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon-Dundurn (1993-1997)
Maciej Bodnar (b. 1985), Polish professional road racing cyclist
August Bodnar (1923-2005), Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played from 1943 to 1955

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)