Here's the breakdown:
* Bogardus is derived from the Dutch given name "Bogert," which is a variant of "Boudewijn" or "Baldwin," meaning "bold friend" or "brave friend."
* -us is a common suffix in Dutch surnames, indicating "son of."
Therefore, Bogardus means "son of Bogert" or "son of Baldwin."
The surname is most commonly found in the United States, where it was brought by Dutch settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries.