Explore the Family Name Bode

The meaning of Bode

1. Dutch and German: occupational name for a messenger or representative, Dutch bode, Middle Low German bode. A bode was a medieval official with a variety of different functions. 2. German and Danish: from the North German personal name Bodo, a derivative of Old Saxon bodo ‘messenger, leader’. 3. North German and Dutch: topographic name from Middle Low German bōde, būde ‘booth, small house’. 4. Danish: habitational name from a place called Bode. 5. English: occupational name for a messenger, from Middle English bode ‘herald, messenger’ (Old English boda), or from the Middle English personal name Bode (Old English Boda) derived from the same word. Some characteristic forenames: German Erwin, Otto, Gerd, Gerhard, Helmut, Armin, Dieter, Erna, Ewald, Friedhelm, Fritz, Gunter.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bode in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Bode" has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5400th most popular surname with a count of 5,935 people carrying the name Bode. However, by 2010, the rank had dropped to 5919, representing a decrease of 9.61%. The total count of individuals with this surname also declined by 1.87% to 5,824. As a result, the proportion of the population with this surname per 100,000 individuals fell by 10.45% from 2.2 in 2000 to 1.97 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#5,400#5,919-9.61%
Count5,9355,824-1.87%
Proportion per 100k2.21.97-10.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bode

Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Bode, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some changes over the decade. In 2000, the majority (94.2%) identified as White, followed by Hispanic (2.91%), Two or more races (1.35%), Black (0.72%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.54%), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.27%). By 2010, while the White percentage had decreased slightly to 92.98%, there had been significant increases in the proportions identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (1.10%) and Hispanic (3.74%). The category of Two or more races saw a modest increase to 1.44%, while the percentages for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased to 0.64% and 0.10% respectively.

20002010Change
White94.2%92.98%-1.3%
Hispanic2.91%3.74%28.52%
Two or More Races1.35%1.44%6.67%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.54%1.1%103.7%
Black0.72%0.64%-11.11%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.27%0.1%-62.96%

Bode ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bode is French & German, which comprises 45.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (30.9%) and Scandinavian (7.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
French & German45.9%
British & Irish30.9%
Scandinavian7.5%
Other15.7%
Bode

Possible origins of the surname Bode

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bode have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Germany.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom79.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom79.90%
Greater London, United Kingdom79.90%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom79.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom79.90%

What Bode haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bode is R-L48, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L48 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Knott, North, Benz, Westphal, Schumacher, Franke, Ambrose, Burrows, Edmunds, Harrison.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bode surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

bodePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI

The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Bode have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Bode

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Bode" Surname 41.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Bode

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Bode" Surname 17.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Bode

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Bode" Surname 26.2%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Bode

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Bode" Surname 19.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Bode?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bode are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

French & German 60.8%

23andMe Users 57.2%