Strictly's Joe Sugg reveals meaning of son's Wiltshire name

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A Strictly Come Dancing finalist has revealed why he named his son after a tiny Wiltshire village.

TV personality and YouTuber Joe Sugg grew up in Lacock in Wiltshire alongside his YouTuber sister Zoella, and rose to fame through his YouTube channel ThatcherJoe.

In 2018, he became a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, which is where he met his pro-dancer partner and celebrity girlfriend Dianne Buswell.

On March 18, 2026, Sugg and Buswell announced the birth of their first child - a baby boy named Bowden Mark Richard Sugg (pronounced 'bow' like 'how').

Fans speculated that the child's unusual name could in fact be paying homage to Joe's Wiltshire upbringing.

Now, he has confirmed this is the case, and revealed why it was so important to name his child after Wiltshire.

Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell.Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell fell in love after being partnered up on the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing (Image: BBC)

Bowden Mark Richard SuggJoe Sugg leaving the hospital with newborn son Bowden (Image: Joe Sugg)

Speaking in a new video on his YouTube channel, which has over 3 million subscribers, Joe said: "When we were coming up with names, I had quite a few that I liked and Dianne didn't like any of them really.

"I was thinking something that is unusual, can be shortened, but the full version still would sound nice, is nice to write, but also sounds quite cool.

"I grew up in a place called Bowden Hill, and I thought you know what, Bowden actually sounds quite cool and it's different.

"I suggested it to Dianne early doors and Dianne was like 'I absolutely love it.'

Bowden Mark Richard SuggBaby Bowden, known affectionately as 'Bowie' (Image: Joe Sugg)

"I then felt like I needed to suggest more names just in case, because it sounds like it's coming from just me, like I wanted it to be something based around where I grew up.

"But it's not so much about where I grew up, I just like the name of it."

Joe has spoken multiple times about his childhood growing up in Lacock, where he attended the Corsham school, right next door to the Wiltshire village of Bowden Hill.

Bowden Hill is about as rural as Wiltshire gets, with about 50 houses, a pub, and a small industrial estate.

Due to its small size, it shares many of its facilities, such as a school and post office, with Sugg's village.

He added: "I guess I grew up saying the word Bowden all the time so I've heard it so much more than everyone else.

"It's a Saxon word that means hill, and I saw somewhere that it means top of the hill.

"That's quite nice. That feels like it's got meaning then."

Pro dancer Dianne Buswell added: "It blows my mind how many people have never heard of it. My favourite is shortening it to Bowie."

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