A tradition exists in at least one branch of the Bowdern family that it owes its connexion with Ireland to the fact that one Nicholas Bowdern, a Swiss baker, was shipwrecked near Dungarvan about the year 1650. It is certainly a fact that Bowdern, Bowdren or Budran families have been mainly located in the parts of Co. Waterford and east Cork not far from Dungarvan. If, however, the story of the alleged Swiss ancestor be true it must have been some generations before the supposed date, since we know from Petty's ‘census” of 1659 that Bowdrans then were already numerous enough in Co. Waterford to be classed as one of the “principal Irish names” there: in the barony of Coshmore and Coshbride which is the portion of west Waterford which juts into east Cork, there were ten families of the name at that time. In 1601Rick and William Budran of Dromadda obtained “pardons”-Dromadda is in the barony of Imokilly which adjoins Co. Waterford. Again in more recent times we find nine householders called Bowdren listed in Griffith's Valuation of Co. Waterford (1850). Though not then associated with these southern areas the name Boudran is to be found in Irish records of a much earlier date, for the Judiciary Rolls of 1297 and 1299 mention one William Boudran of Dublin.

I have not found any conclusive evidence of the origin of the name. I discount the Swiss theory though Bourdon, which has both French and German affiliations, could well have become Boudron; nor does it appear to be a Gaelic Mac or O name. It is possible that it is one of the rare Norman toponymics viz. de Boderan from the place-name in Co. Wexford. It appears to be extinct now in the Dungarvan-Lismore area, where it was a century ago. It is extant in the United States.

A Co. Waterford name, probably an Anglo-Norman toponymic, de Boderan. SIF 20