DODSON
Dodson is an English surname of patronymic origin, first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name originates from the British Isles, specifically England, and is associated with the English language and Christian tradition.
The surname derives from the medieval given name Dodd, a pet form of Roger. It literally means son of Dodd and was originally used to identify a person as the descendant of a man named Dodd. This patronymic construction is common in English surnames, serving to denote family lineage.
In earlier records, the name appears in its various medieval forms. Aelfweard Dudd is noted in the Old English Byname Register for Hampshire around 1030, and Aluric Dod is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the entry for "orset". The surname was also recorded as Aeluric Doddes in Feudal Documents from the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, and as Magota Dodson in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire. These entries confirm the longevity of the patronymic usage of the name.
Later variations of the surname have been documented. In the modern period the name has seven recognised variants: Dods, Dodds, Dadds, Dodson, Dudson, Dodding and Dotson. The latter form is particularly well recorded in Cornwall. All these forms share the same patronymic origin and are considered to be related to the original Dodson line.
During the early colonial era, an individual bearing the name, Edward Dodson, set sail from London on the ship John bound for St. Christopher’s in Barbados in October 1635. He was aged 21 years at the time of departure. This instance illustrates the spread of the surname beyond England to the New World Colonies.
The heraldic arms associated with a Dodson family feature a black shield with a gold chevron between three gold catharine wheels. The crest is described as the head of Janus couped at the neck in its natural colouring. The earliest recorded spelling of the name associated with these arms is Aluinus Dodeson, dated 1086 in the Domesday Book of Hertfordshire during the reign of King William I, known as William the Conqueror (1066–1087).
Typical given names associated with the Dodson surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Dodson in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 3,631 people named Dodson in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,539th most common surname in Britain. Around 56 in a million people in Britain are named Dodson.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Dodson
- Ashley Williams Dodson - American actress
- Eric Dodson - Actor (1920 to 2000)
- Aidan Dodson - Egyptologist and archaeologist
- Tony Dodson - Boxer
- John Dodson, 3rd Baron Monk Bretton - Peer
- John Dodson, 2nd Baron Monk Bretton - Baron (1869 to 1933)
- John Dodson - Politician (1780 to 1858)
- Henry Dodson - New Zealand politician (1828 to 1892)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.