Bowdrey

Recorded in many forms including Baldry, Baldree, Baldery, Bauldry, Boldra, Boldero, Bolderow, and Bowdery, and Bowdrey, this unusual surname is of English origin. However it derives from a pre 7th century Germanic personal name "Baldric", introduced into England by the Norman-French after the Conquest of 1066. It appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086 as Baldri and Baudri. The name is composed of the elements "bald", meaning bold or brave, and "ric" meaning power or rule. There is thought to have been an Old English equivalent in "Bealdric", since there are records of spellings as Belrich, Balrich and Baldrich. Sadly almost all Old English and Saxon names were regarded as politically incorrect during the first century of Norman rule, and were largely lost to future generations. Modern-day bearers of the (sur)name are almost certainly descended from the Norman form of "Baldric". Surnames began to come into general use about the year 1200, and in this case the earliest known recording of the family name is probably that of William Baldri. This was dated 1185, in the Records of the Knight Templars, of the county of Hertfordshire, during the reign of King Henry 11nd of England, 1154 - 1189. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.