Save Type Surname (from given name) Usage French (Huguenot) Pronounced Pron. /ˈboʊdɪn/ BOH-din [key] Other Forms FormsBowden, Baudouin, Bowdon Meaning & History Americanized form of French Baudouin or Baudoin. Both the French form of Baldwin. A famous bearer of this surname was James Bowdoin II (1726-1790) Who was the second governor of Massachusetts and political rival of John Hancock.