Bodén, Bodin Topographic name for someone who lived in a small hut or bothy [Middle
English bõth(e)], especially. a cowman or shepherd. The word is
of Scandinavian origin (cf. Old Danish bõth, Oicel.büð),
and was used to denote various kinds of temporary shelter, typically a
cowshed or a herdsman’s hut. The surname is common in Northern England,
where Scandinavian influence was more marked, and in Scotland, where the
word was borrowed into Gaelic as both(an).
