Contents [hide]

Hodder History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Hodder History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Hodder finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a maker of hoods. It was originally derived from the Old English hod, which meant "hood." Thus, the original bearer of the name was a maker of hoods. 1

There are a two alternate origins. The name may also be of a local derivation. There was a small hamlet in Yorkshire called Hodd. 2

And another sources notes the name may have been for a "dweller by the River Hodder, [in Lancashire] spelt Hoder, Hodre, in the 14th century." 3

Early Origins of the Hodder family

The surname Hodder was first found in Essex where John le Hodder was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1220. We did find an interesting entry pointing to the aforementioned occupational origin, John Hoder who is also called Hodmaker and Hodman in Colchester, Essex in 1361. 4

Exploring the Yorkshire origin, one source notes "it is evident that it must be looked for in Yorkshire," 2 and to underscore this claim the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Anabilla de Hodre; and Isabella de Hedre, as holding lands there at that time.

Early History of the Hodder family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hodder research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1279, 1361, 1661, 1664, 1666, 1672, 1681, 1685, 1693, 1697, 1702 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Hodder History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hodder Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Hodder has been recorded under many different variations, including Hodder, Hoddar, Hooder, Hoder, Hoader, Hoodar and others.

Early Notables of the Hodder family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

James Hodder (fl. 1661), English arithmetician, a writing-master, with a school in Tokenhouse Yard in Lothbury, in 1661. "After the fire of 1666, he removed to Bromley-by-Bow, where he kept a boarding...

Hodder World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hodder is the 18,653^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Hodder is ranked the 54^th most popular surname with an estimated 461 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Hodder family to Ireland

Some of the Hodder family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hodder migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hodder or a variant listed above:

Hodder Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edwin Hodder brought his family to land he purchased in Pennsylvania and joined a large group of English settlers who arrived in 1635

Hodder Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John H Hodder, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1854 7

Hodder migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hodder Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Hodder, who settled in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland in 1780

Hodder Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Richard Hodder was a proprietor of a fishing room at Rider's Harbour in 1800

Hodder migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hodder Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Hodder, (b. 1807), aged 23, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830, arriving in New South Wales 8
Thomas Hodder, aged 25, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" 9
Mr. William C. Hodder, (b. 1833), aged 25, Cornish painter departing from Plymouth on 11th December 1857 aboard the ship "Sea Park " arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 20th March 1858 10
Mrs. Nanny Hodder, (b. 1838), aged 20, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth on 11th December 1857 aboard the ship "Sea Park " arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 20th March 1858 10

Hodder migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hodder Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Walter Hodder, aged 24, a farm labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Emma Hodder, aged 27, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Elizabeth Mary Hodder, aged 10 months, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Walter Hodder, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842
Edwin Hodder, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "John Masterman" in 1857
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hodder (post 1700) +

Frank Heywood Hodder (1860-1935), American historian, professor first at Cornell University (1885 to 1890)
Kane Hodder (b. 1955), American actor and stuntman
Jim Hodder (1947-1990), American musician
J. Alan Hodder, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1948 11
William "Bill" Hodder, English footballer in the late 19th century
Stephen Hodder (b. 1956), English architect, winner of the RIBA's Stirling Prize in 1996
James Eric "Jim" Hodder (1940-2021), Newfoundland-born, Canadian politician, MHA for Port au Port (2003-2007) who died in St. John's on March 2, 2021
Frank Hodder, British academic, former Dean of Manchester, from Somerset, England
Harvey Hodder (1943-2020), Newfoundland-born, Canadian politician, Newfoundland and Labrador MHA for Waterford Valley (2003-2007)
Robin Godfrey Hodder (1937-2006), Australian bronze medalist field hockey player at the 1964 Summer Olympics
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hodder family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. James Hodder, English Fireman from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 12

The Hodder Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per ignem ferris vicimus
Motto Translation: Even through fire have we conquered with our sword.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SAMUEL BODDINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SamuelBoddington.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/