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Show ContentsHodgson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The rich and ancient history of the Hodgson family name dates back to the time of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from the baptismal name for Roger,which was originally derived from the nickname Hodge. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor 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 Hodgson family

The surname Hodgson was first found in Northumberland where "this name in the North of England is pronounced Hodgin, while in the South it has taken not only the pronunciation, but the spelling, of Hodson or Hudson. The name of Hodgson is ancient at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, being found in records of temp. Edward I., and the Hodgsons of Stella and Acton, co. Northumberland, trace a clear pedigree to 1424." 1

"The Hodgsons are at present most numerous in this county and in the adjacent parts of Yorkshire. As far back as the 15th century they were more numerous in Northumberland than they are at present." 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Johannes Hodgeson; and Johannes Hojegeson. 3

Early History of the Hodgson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hodgson research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1591, 1611, 1616, 1620, 1624, 1640, 1642, 1645, 1648, 1672, 1684, 1703, 1733, 1755 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Hodgson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hodgson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Hodgson have been found, including Hodgson, Hodson, Hodsdon and others.

Early Notables of the Hodgson family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • James Hodgson, of Cark who was listed in the Lancashire Wills at Richmond in 1591. The same source lists John Hodgeshon of Caton in 1616; and Cuthbert Hodgshon in 1611. 3
  • James Hodgson (1672-1755), was an English mathematical teacher and writer. In 1703 he was elected fellow, and in 1733 one of the council, of the Royal Society. 4
  • John Hodgson (d. 1684), was an English autobiographer, a Yorkshire gentleman, who resided near Halifax, took up arms on the side of the parliament in the civil wars in December 1642, at the instigatio...

Hodgson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hodgson is the 3,753rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Hodgson is ranked the 712nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,480 people with that name. 6 And in Australia, the name Hodgson is the 436th popular surname with an estimated 8,637 people with that name. 7 New Zealand ranks Hodgson as 272nd with 2,236 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Hodgson as 213rd with 26,934 people. 9

Ireland Migration of the Hodgson family to Ireland

Some of the Hodgson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Hodgson migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Hodgson, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :

Hodgson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edward Hodgson, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 10
Hodgson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Geo Hodgson, who arrived in Maryland in 1716 10
  • Thomas Hodgson and his wife and child settled in Philadelphia in 1774
Hodgson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Richard Hodgson, aged 18, who landed in Delaware in 1813 10
  • Margaret Hodgson settled with her husband and six children in New York in 1821
  • Christopher Hodgson, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1838 10
  • George Hodgson, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 10
  • William Hodgson, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Hodgson migration to Australia +

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

Hodgson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Hodgson, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
  • Mr. Richard Hodgson, English convict who was convicted in Cumbria (Cumberland), England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • William Hodgson, English convict from Lincoln, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. William Hodgson, (b. 1803), aged 24, British Shoemaker who was convicted in York, England for life for highway robbery, transported aboard the "Asia" on 19th November 1827, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Mr. Henry Hodgson, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Hodgson 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:

Hodgson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Robert Hodgson, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 16
  • Mr. Hodgson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Fyffe" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 7th November 1842 17
  • Mr. Hodgson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Phoebe" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 18th April 1843 18
  • Henry Hodgson, aged 46, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
  • Emma Hodgson, aged 55, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Hodgson 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. 19
Hodgson Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. William Hodgson, (b. 1614), aged 20, British settler travelling from London, UK arriving in St Christopher (St. Kitts) on 5th January 1634 10
  • William Hodgson who settled in Jamaica in 1651

Contemporary Notables of the name Hodgson (post 1700) +

  • James Day Hodgson (b. 1915), American former politician, Secretary of Labor from 1970 to 1973
  • Jane Elizabeth Hodgson (1915-2006), American obstetrician and gynecologist
  • Claire Merritt Hodgson (1897-1976), second wife of Babe Ruth
  • Laurence Curran Hodgson (1874-1937), American politician, Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, 1918-22, 1926-30; Candidate for Governor of Minnesota, 1920 20
  • John P. Hodgson, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Berlin, 1936 20
  • John II Hodgson, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Warren County, 1847 20
  • James Day Hodgson (1915-2012), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, 1974-77 20
  • James Hodgson, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Illinois 8th District, 1918 20
  • Fred Hodgson, American politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 6th District, 1926; Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 23rd District, 1933 20
  • Clayton Hodgson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Iowa 6th District, 1986 20
  • ... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bradford City stadium fire
  • Moira Helen Hodgson (1970-1985), from Oakenshaw who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and she died in the fire
Halifax Explosion
  • Mrs. Isabella Elizabeth  Hodgson (1896-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 21
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Frederick Hodgson, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 22
  • Mr. Charles William Hodgson, British Lieutenant (E), who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 22
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. William Hodgson, British Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 23
HMS Royal Oak
  • James Samuel Hodgson (1922-1939), British Boy 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 24
  • Alan Raymond Hodgson (1919-1939), British Signalman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 24
SS Atlantic
  • Mr. John Hodgson, British crew member who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking

The Hodgson 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: Miseris succurrere disco
Motto Translation: I learn to succour the distressed.
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  7. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  8. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  9. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  10. 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)
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  13. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1827
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  20. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  21. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  22. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  23. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  24. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
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