2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bodger
A surname for someone who worked as a repairer or tinkerer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Bodger. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bodger surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bodger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Bodger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodger, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bodger
The surname Bodger originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 13th century. The name is believed to derive from the Old English word "bodian," meaning "to deliver a message" or "to announce." This suggests that the original bearers of this surname may have been town criers or messengers.
Bodger is closely related to the occupational surname Bodger, which referred to individuals who made small wooden items, such as bowls, boxes, or tool handles, using a lathe or a turning machine. This occupation was particularly prevalent in the woodlands of the Chiltern Hills region, spanning parts of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bodger can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. This document mentions a certain William le Bodger, suggesting that the name was already established by that time.
In the 14th century, the Bodger surname appears in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332, which lists a Robert Bodger, and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, mentioning a John Bodgere.
During the 16th century, the Bodger surname gained further prominence, with several notable individuals bearing this name. One such person was Thomas Bodger, a merchant and alderman from Bristol, who lived from 1532 to 1599. Another was John Bodger, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Tenterden, Kent, in 1556 during the reign of Queen Mary I.
In the 17th century, the Bodger surname continued to be widespread across various regions of England. One notable figure from this period was Sir Nicholas Bodger, a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Launceston, Cornwall, who lived from 1610 to 1679.
Moving into the 18th century, the Bodger name appeared in various parish records and historical documents. One individual of note was Samuel Bodger, a celebrated clockmaker from London who lived from 1720 to 1789 and is known for his intricate and highly sought-after timepieces.
Throughout the 19th century, the Bodger surname remained well-represented across England, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields. One such person was William Bodger, a renowned architect from Gloucestershire who designed several notable buildings, including the picturesque St. Mary's Church in Stow-on-the-Wold, which was completed in 1858.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bodger
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodger, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bodger bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bodger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.7% · 66
- Black or African American27.1% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bodger
Bodger appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+10 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 981 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 981 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 3,292 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bodger surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #151,639 | -2.2% |
| Count | 111 | 107 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bodger bearers went from 111 to 107 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 3,292 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #151,639.
FAQ
Bodger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bodger?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Bodger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Bodger?
Bodger ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Bodger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bodger.
Has Bodger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bodger went from 111 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Bodger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodger, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bodger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.7% (66 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bodger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.7%), Black (27.1%), Hispanic (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bodger (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bodger mean?
A surname for someone who worked as a repairer or tinkerer. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bodger (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Bodger?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Bodger at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.