Yo Buddy!

So this morning at the office, me and my collegue were having a conversation about the name 'BUD'. In America this name is pretty common, however in South Africa, our city P.E. in partcular the word bud has really become an overused way of calling a 'friend'.
"Hey my bud"
"Hello buddy"
"You such a bud"
"how are you bud?"

I myself love the term 'bud', and used it without even thinking what the meaning behind it was. In a sudden urge to find it's meaning I searched google and to my dismay I found there wasn't much on the origin of 'where' or 'how' the slang usuage of the word 'bud' came from.  It just says bud is another word used for friend. But where did this come from, did it perhaps come from the word 'budget' or the beer Budweizer or hmm maybe a budgy bird?

My friend's theory goes something like this... so if youre close enough to share your budget you must be a 'bud'.

I know alot of my friends that moved here recently said they had to get use to the fact that we call everyone 'bud'. Why not just say, my friend or my pal? In my opinion the term bud means you are not only a good friend but a close and comfortable person to me. You can't go calling somwone you just met or someone you simply work with a bud.

Another use of this term which I found interesting was the use of the term 'bud' to define the type of friendship you have with a guy or if you are a guy with a girl. One way to make sure the other person knows you are JUST friends is by stating that you are buddies, he's my bud.

Well buddy or not. The use of this word sparked some ineterest for my day.