My lines:

PATERNAL (ME, MA, VA, NC, GA, AL, FL, TX, TN): Baudouin/Bowdoin/Bowden, Allen, Stringfellow, Ray, Smith, Jackson, Williamson, Maddox, Mills, Kendrick, Travis, Macon, Folsom, Stockley, Ladd, Wyatt

MATERNAL (OH, IN): Feigel, Justus, Barcus, Buckles, Covault, Chilcote, Van Meter.

SOME NOTES ON BOWDOIN vs. BOWDEN

I am a Bowden from the Bowdoin line. Pierre Baudouin anglicized his name to Peter Bowdoin after arriving in the Colonies in the 1680s (Bowdoin College is named after his grandson, James Bowdoin, 2nd governor of Mass. It is his tomb in my profile picture, located in the Granary Burial ground of Boston).

Throughout the generations there have been many phonetic misspellings of Bowdoin (e.g., Bowden, Bodin, Bodwin, Baudin, Boudin etc.).

Census takers and schoolteachers of Bowdoins in the south, particularly illiterate farmers, took it upon themselves to "correct" the spelling of Bowdoin to Bowden. Many of my ancestors were born Bowdoins, appear that way in a few censuses, then take on Bowden, especially around the 1930 Census. Many Bowdens were legally Bowdoins all the way through life but ended up with Bowden on their graves (like my grandfather and his siblings). And eventually, Bowdoins who died Bowdens had children who were born Bowdens (like my father, uncles and aunts).

THERE IS A DISTINCTION - THERE ARE MANY BOWDENS WITH NO CONNECTION TO BOWDOIN.

My lines:

PATERNAL (ME, MA, VA, NC, GA, AL, FL, TX, TN): Baudouin/Bowdoin/Bowden, Allen, Stringfellow, Ray, Smith, Jackson, Williamson, Maddox, Mills, Kendrick, Travis, Macon, Folsom, Stockley, Ladd, Wyatt

MATERNAL (OH, IN): Feigel, Justus, Barcus, Buckles, Covault, Chilcote, Van Meter.

SOME NOTES ON BOWDOIN vs. BOWDEN

I am a Bowden from the Bowdoin line. Pierre Baudouin anglicized his name to Peter Bowdoin after arriving in the Colonies in the 1680s (Bowdoin College is named after his grandson, James Bowdoin, 2nd governor of Mass. It is his tomb in my profile picture, located in the Granary Burial ground of Boston).

Throughout the generations there have been many phonetic misspellings of Bowdoin (e.g., Bowden, Bodin, Bodwin, Baudin, Boudin etc.).

Census takers and schoolteachers of Bowdoins in the south, particularly illiterate farmers, took it upon themselves to "correct" the spelling of Bowdoin to Bowden. Many of my ancestors were born Bowdoins, appear that way in a few censuses, then take on Bowden, especially around the 1930 Census. Many Bowdens were legally Bowdoins all the way through life but ended up with Bowden on their graves (like my grandfather and his siblings). And eventually, Bowdoins who died Bowdens had children who were born Bowdens (like my father, uncles and aunts).

THERE IS A DISTINCTION - THERE ARE MANY BOWDENS WITH NO CONNECTION TO BOWDOIN.