Surname Bodendorf - Meaning and Origin
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Bodendorf: What does the surname Bodendorf mean?
The last name Bodendorf is likely of German origin. According to German naming conventions, it is composed of two parts - the first being the patronymic and the second being the toponymic. The patronymic is derived from the ancestor’s name, typically with the addition of -dorf, meaning “village”. The toponymic is derived from the ancestor’s location of origin, often with the addition of -en-, meaning “in.” Therefore, Bodendorf likely breaks down to the composite prefixes 'Bodo' and 'Dorf', meaning 'from the village of Bodo'.
Bodo is a German given name, deriving from an Old German personal name, and is still found today. The popular medieval saint, St. Bodo of Toulouse, was also known by this name. The name has also been found in the Netherlands, with the spelling Boden meaning ‘brought’ or ‘borne’. It is possible that the name was adapted to Bodendorf, suggesting ancestors' who had been ‘borne from the village of Bodo’.
The name Bodendorf is also found as a place name, specifically in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. As such, it is also likely that the origin of the surname Bodendorf lies in some ancestral family's village of origin, and that the 'Bodo' and 'Dorf' elements of the name refer to the village itself, and not a personal name.
In conclusion, the last name Bodendorf is likely of German origin, formed from two prefixes - 'Bodo' and 'Dorf' - and would have originally denoted a family's ancestral ties to the village of Bodo in Germany.
Order DNA origin analysisBodendorf: Where does the name Bodendorf come from?
The last name Bodendorf is commonly found in the United States today. According to the United States census of 2020, there were 6,026 people with the last name Bodendorf living in the US. The states with the highest concentrations of people with the Bodendorf last name were Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois, and North Dakota.
The Bodendorf surname can also be found in Germany, mainly in the states of Bavaria and Lower Saxony. According to Ancestry.com, the surname Bodendorf is of German origin and derives from the word "vondorf," which translates to "village" or "settlement." It is believed that this surname developed as a reference to those who lived in a particular village or settlement. A study of German records revealed that the Bodendorf family is believed to have originated from Schleswig-Holstein, a region in northern Germany.
While the Bodendorfs of today living in the US and other parts of the world may have no direct connection to the original German family, it is likely that they are connected through their German ancestors who arrived in the United States in the mid to late 19th century on ships from northern Germany.
Variations of the surname Bodendorf
The variants, spellings and surnames for the same origin for the surname Bodendorf include Bodendorff, Bodenderf, Bodentorf, Bodentrup, Bodenbender, Bodenstorf, Bodenstedt, Bödendörf, Bödenderf, Bödentorf, Bödentrup, Bödenbender, Bödenstorf, Bödenstedt and Bödendorf.
The surname Bodendorf originated from Germany and the Netherlands and is derived from the Middle High German words "bien" or "bode" meaning "messenger". The other elements of the surname would traditionally be "dorf" which means "village" or "mart", "trup" meaning "(place) where someone stayed or lived" and "stedt" meaning "(place built) on a stationary surface".
Although the variants of the surname vary, most of them share the same origin and are toponymic-based, which means they are derived from a geographic location. In most cases, the prefixes included in the surnames are indicative of the geographic location of the origin of the family: "Boden" meaning "lowland", "bender" indicating "bend in a river", "storf" meaning "pool" or "small lake", "dorff" or "dorf" meaning "village" and "stedt" meaning "(place) on a stationary surface".
The variations of the surname Bodendorf are primarily used to denote someone who originates from or lives in any of the geographical locations. For example, someone with the surname Bodendorff could be implying that their family originates from a lowland village while someone with the surname Bödenstedt could be implying that they come from a place built upon a stationary surface.
Famous people with the name Bodendorf
- Anna Bodendorf: German film and stage actress.
- Patrick Bodendorf: former cricket player from Switzerland.
- Claus Bodendorf: professor for Automotive Technology at the University of Applied Science Esslingen, Germany.
- Diane Bodendorf: American fashion designer.
- John Bodendorf: former college basketball player and member of the 1948 NCAA championship team.
- Christian Bodendorf: former German swimmer who won multiple medals at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympic Games.
- Shelly Bodendorf: American classical soprano opera singer.
- Martin Bodendorf: German theater director, author, and actor.
- Monique Bodendorf: German Olympian in dressage.
- Gunter Bodendorf: German professional golfer.
- Jonathan Bodendorf: English cricketer who plays for Bedfordshire.
- Hans Bodendorf: German World War II veteran and recipient of the Iron Cross.
- Jonathan Bodendorf: American artist and photographer.
- Klaus-Peter Bodendorf: German entrepreneur and board member of Unilever.
- Stefan Bodendorf: German computer scientist and professor.