- Origin: German
- Meaning: “lord, master.”
- Gender: Masculine
- Pronunciation: Eng: BOH-dee; Low Germ (BOH-deh); Germ, Eng: BOH-doh
Both names are derived from the Old Saxon bodo (lord). It has alternately been argued to be linked with the Old German, boto (messenger). It may have also been a hypochoristic form of any older Medieval Germanic name which had the bod- element.
It was borne by a 7th-century Frankish saint, who was bishop of Toul, he founded what is now known as the Monastery of Bonmoutier.
Bodo reentered popular use in Germany in the 19th-century. In recent years, its low German form of Bode has entered the U.S. top 1000. It currently ranks in as the 960th most popular male name (2022).
Other forms include:
- Bode (Dutch, English, Scandinavian)
- Bodon (French)
- Bodo (German, Scandinavian)
- Botho (German)
- Poto (Italian, archaic)
Sources