Bodhan
A masculine name of Old Slavic origin meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Bodhan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bodhan today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bodhan births was 2012 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bodhan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bodhan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2012
5 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2012 SSA rank
#12,512
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Bodhan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Bodhan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bodhan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Bodhan
The name Bodhan is believed to have originated from the Irish language and culture, with its roots dating back to the early medieval period in Ireland. It is derived from the Old Irish word "buidhe," meaning "yellow" or "fair-haired." The name's earliest recorded use can be traced back to the 7th century AD.
In ancient Irish folklore and mythology, Bodhan was often associated with characters who possessed fair hair or a bright, radiant appearance. One notable reference is found in the legendary tale of the Fenian Cycle, where a warrior named Bodhan is described as having a golden mane of hair and a radiant complexion.
The first recorded bearer of the name Bodhan was a 7th-century Irish monk and scholar known as Bodhan of Iona. He was a renowned scribe and calligrapher who contributed to the preservation of ancient manuscripts and religious texts during the Celtic Christian era.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Bodhan remained prevalent among the Irish nobility and ruling classes. One prominent figure was Bodhan O'Callaghan, a 12th-century Irish chieftain and military leader from County Cork, who played a significant role in the resistance against Norman invasions.
In the 16th century, Bodhan McMahon was a celebrated Irish poet and bard who composed intricate verses and odes in the traditional Gaelic style. His works were widely appreciated and preserved by scholars of the time.
Another notable bearer of the name was Bodhan Ruadh O'Donnell, a 17th-century Irish chieftain and commander who led his clan in the Irish Confederate Wars against English and Scottish forces. He was renowned for his military prowess and unwavering leadership during a tumultuous period in Irish history.
During the 18th century, Bodhan O'Reilly was a prominent Irish sculptor and artist who gained recognition for his intricate stone carvings and bas-relief works, which adorned many churches and public buildings across Ireland.
While the name Bodhan has its roots in ancient Irish culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and languages over the centuries, although its original meaning and association with fair hair or a radiant appearance have often been preserved.
People
Bodhan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bodhan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bodhan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bodhan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bodhan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Bodhan a common name?
We classify Bodhan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bodhan most popular?
The single biggest year for Bodhan was 2012, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bodhan is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bodhan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bodhan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bodhan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Bodhan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bodhan in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bodhan can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Bodhan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.