The origins of the name 
The Baudouin family name is derived, like many other French family patronyms, from the name of a person of German origin, Baldwin (from "Bald" daring and from "win" friend). This was undoubtedly the baptismal name of the head of the family.
There are more than 8600 people in France today who have this name.


The Baudouin in the Loire Valley
There are 1500 Baudouins, or more than 17 % of the bearers of this name, in this region.
The French department having the greatest number is Deux-Sèvres (139 families), followed by Maine-et-Loire (102), Vienne (72), Indre-et-Loire (68), Loir-et-Cher (41) and Cher (18).


Publishers, printers and teachers.
Jean-Paul Baudouin is, at the present time, general manager of Dunod-Masson, after being the president of the Editions Nathan. In the past centuries, several other characters had a passion for litterrature: François-Jean Baudouin (1759-1838), creator of the "Logographe" newspaper and owner of the "Journal des Débats" newspaper, Jean Baudouin (1594-1650), writer originally from the area of Haute-Loire, Jean Magloire Baudouin (1819-1882), private tutor of princes of Orléans, the historian and journalist Marcel Baudouin (1860-1941), originally from Croix-de-Vie in Vendée (44), director of numerous prehistoric excavations in his native region.


Philantropist and missionary
Priest Pierre-Gabriel Baudouin (1689-1768) created a charity house in Varsovia (Poland). Louis Marie Baudouin (1765-1835) was the founder of the Société de Marie (Marie's Society), and of the Congrégation des Ursulines de Jésus (Jesus Ursulines' congregation). Jesuit priest Michel Baudouin (1692-1766) born in Québec (Canada), became manager of the New-Orleans' Ursulines.