Hodges History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
England
Ireland
Scotland

The earliest origins of the name Hodges date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the baptismal name Roger which was nicknamed Hodge. 1 As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honour of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Hodges family

The surname Hodges was first found in Lincolnshire where Hogge (with no forename) was recorded in the Feet of Fines for 1208 and later in the Curia Regis Rolls for Cumberland in 1212. These entries may be for the same person or not. William Hogge was listed in Cornwall in 1297 and Alicia Hogges was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 2 Robert Hogge was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1284. 3

In Yorkshire, the first records of the name were found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. That rolls had a multitude of listings including: Johannes Hodgeson; Thomas Hogge; Johannes Hoggeson; Ebbota Hoggese, and Ricardus Hoge. The last entry was listed as a servant of Roger (Hodge.) 1

Further to the north in Scotland, the first entries for the family were quite late: "Laurence Hoige, witness in Glasgow, 1550 (Protocols, I). Mariota Hodge is recorded in Edinburgh in 1625 (Retours, Edinburgh, 545), and Thomas Hodge was merchant burgess there in 1629. Thomas Hodgis was burgess of Glasgow in 1487. " 4

Early History of the Hodges family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hodges research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1267, 1625, 1629, 1645, 1664, 1665, 1688, 1703, 1714 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hodges History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hodges Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hodges include Hodge, Hodges and others.

Early Notables of the Hodges family

Notables of the family at this time include

Nathaniel Hodges M.D. (1629-1688), an English physician, known for his work during the Great Plague of London and his written account entitled Loimologia. He was the son of Dr. Thomas Hodges, vicar of...
Sir William Hodges, 1st Baronet (1645?-1714), was an English merchant in London and politician. He acquired a fortune in the Spanish trade and became a director of the Bank of England in 1703. He was...

Hodges World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hodges is the 391^st most popular surname with an estimated 72,123 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Hodges is ranked the 514^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,437 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Hodges is the 640^th popular surname with an estimated 1,122 people with that name. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Hodges as 572^nd with 11,381 people. 8

Migration of the Hodges family to Ireland

Some of the Hodges family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hodges migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hodges or a variant listed above:

Hodges Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Hodges, who settled in Virginia in 1623
John Hodges, who settled in Virginia in 1623
Miss Elizabeth Hodges, British maid who arrived in Virginia prior to 1624 aboard the ship "Abigaile" 9
Mr. Benjamin Hodges, who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove" 10
Thomas Hodges, who landed in Maryland in 1633 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hodges Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Isabella Hodges, who landed in Virginia in 1702 10
James Hodges, who landed in Virginia in 1703 10
Joseph Hodges, who landed in Virginia in 1711 10
Samuel Hodges, who landed in Virginia in 1713 10
Sabastian Hodges, who arrived in New England in 1715 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hodges Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Iyzack Hodges, aged 38, who arrived in New York in 1812 10
Tyzack Hodges, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 10
Edward Hodges, who arrived in New York in 1836 10

Hodges migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hodges Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Timothy Hodges U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 11

Hodges Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Lloyd Hodges, who landed in Canada in 1834

Hodges migration to Australia +

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

Hodges Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. John Hodges, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Joseph Hodges, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Thomas Hodges, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Miss Mary Hodges, (Robinson, Susanna), English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13

Hodges Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Hodges, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. George Hodges, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. Joseph Hodges, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. James Hodges, English convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. Joshua Hodges, (b. 1810), aged 23, English quarryman who was convicted in Taunton, Somerset, England for life for assault, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1898 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hodges 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:

Hodges Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alfred Hodges, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Oriental
Charles Hodges, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William Hodges, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Alfred Hodges, aged 32, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
Mr. Alfred Hodges, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hodges migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18

Hodges Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Thomas Hodges, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 19

Contemporary Notables of the name Hodges (post 1700) +

Kaneaster Hodges Jr. (1938-2022), American politician, Democratic United States Senator from the U.S. State of Arkansas (1977-1979)
William Terrell Hodges (1934-2022), American jurist, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (1999-2022)
Corey J. Hodges (b. 1970), American pastor
Carl N. Hodges (1937-2021), American atmospheric physicist and founder of the Seawater foundation
Wilson B. Hodges, American politician, Member of North Carolina State Senate 19th District, 1842-43 20
William V. Hodges (1878-1965), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1924, 1928, 1932; Member,Convention Vice-President, 1928; Member, Treasurer of Republican National Committee, 1924-28 20
William S. Hodges Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 23rd District, 1948, 1952, 1954 20
William M. Hodges, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Suffolk County 1st District, 1921 20
William L. Hodges, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1956 (alternate), 1964; Member of Maryland State Senate District 12; Elected 1966 20
William F. Hodges, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 1952 20
... (Another 101 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hodges family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. W J Hodges, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 21

HMS Repulse

Mr. Francis J Hodges, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 22

Prince of Wales colliery

Mr. John Hodges (b. 1831), Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died 23
Mr. John Hodges (b. 1860), Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died 23

RMS Lusitania

Mr. William Sterling Hodges, American 1st Class Passenger from Philadephia, Pennsylvania, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 24
Master Dean Winston Hodges, American 1st Class Passenger from Philadephia, Pennsylvania, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 24
Master William Sterling Hodges Jr., American 1st Class Passenger from Philadephia, Pennsylvania, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 24
Mrs. Sarah Hodges, American 1st Class Passenger from Philadephia, Pennsylvania, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 24

RMS Titanic

Mr. Henry Price Hodges (d. 1912), aged 50, English Second Class passenger from Southampton, Hampshire who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 25

USS Arizona

Mr. Garris Vada Hodges, American Fireman Second Class from Texas, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 26

The Hodges 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: Dant lucem crescentibus orti
Motto Translation: Rising from the crescents they give light.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Entombed in flood and flame (retrieved 3rd August 2021). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120603025705/http://www.crosskeys.me.uk/history/prince.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html