Bodger Family History

The term is a variant of Butcher derived from Middle English bocher, meaning ‘butcher,’ featuring the voicing of the intervocalic consonant. Examples from history include Willmi Butcher in 1577, Barnard Botcher in 1601, and Jonathan Bodger in 1643, as noted in IGI (Sutton, Cambs).

Alternatively, it may stem from Middle English bocchere, which signifies ‘bodger,’ referring to someone who mends or patches metal items. This also showcases the same irregular voicing of the consonant.

For instance, Adam Bochecollok, meaning ‘mend tub,’ is documented in 1326 within the Patent Rolls.

While some medieval instances of Bocher(e) might reflect this definition, distinguishing between the two interpretations based solely on formal characteristics proves to be challenging.