Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bogedone 1086 DB

• Bowedon 1345 Plea

• Boweden 1724 NotCestr

• Boudun, Boudonia 1189–99 Orm2ii374 12

• Boudon, Bowdon 1275 Pat 1278 Dugd

• Bowden(e) 1438 Sheaf 1488 ChRR 1535 VE

• Bothedun l12 Facs

• Bthedut' 1210 Mass

• Bued' e13 MidCh

• Bodon H3 Orm2 17 Sheaf 1617

• Boden 1695 ib

• Boodon 1549 Pat

• Boedene 13 Orm2

• Baw(e)don, Baudon 1455,1456 ChRR

• Bauden(e) 1537 Orm2 1546 Dugd

Etymology

'Curved hill', v. boga , dūn , named from the elevation known as Bowdon Downs (cf. Downs Rd infra ) which curves sharply to enclose a depression opening towards the north-west, cf. Bowdenhill D 214, Bowden Hall Db 61. The same hill gives name to Dunham Massey 19infra . The forms B (o )the - appear in contemporary charters, and are difficult to reconcile with the usual tradition of spellings, cf. the unusual Sur - spelling of Corbishley 195 and Bul - for Hul - in Ullerwood 29infra , from the same collection of documents. It is possible for a scribe c.1200 to write þ for ƿ by a slip of the pen, but he would hardly write -th - for ƿ unless he were reading a ƿ as a þ. A similar process of bad copying might explain Sur - for Cur -, where C - has been read as long-s and Bul - for Hul - where h - has been read b -.These phenomena indicate that some of the extant documents of this date among the Massey and Fitton charters (LRO, de Trafford MSS.) are contemporary copies of original deeds or drafts, made by a scribe prone to error through his not being personally acquainted with the p.ns. mentioned.