Show ContentsCoddington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Coddington date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Coddington family lived in the town of Coddington, Cheshire. Although there are locations of the same name in Nottingham and Herefordshire, the Cheshire branch of the family is thought to be the source of most, if not all, cases of the name.

Early Origins of the Coddington family

The surname Coddington was first found in Cheshire at Coddington, a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Cotintone. Coddington is also located in Nottinghamshire (a village), Derbyshire (home of two farms) and Herefordshire (a tiny hamlet.) The Domesday Book lists Cotintone in Nottinghamshire and Cotingtune in Herefordshire. 1 The place name literally means "estate associated with a man called Cot(t)a," from the Old English personal names + "ing" + "tun." 2

Early History of the Coddington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coddington research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1630, 1651, 1678, 1689 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Coddington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coddington Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Coddington are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Coddington include: Coddington, Codington and others.

Early Notables of the Coddington family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • William Coddington High Sheriff of Dublin
  • William Coddington (1601-1678) was founder and 1st Governor of Rhode Island, United States. He was a native of Lincolnshire and was chosen in England to be an 'assistant' or magistrate to the colony a...
  • Hi son, William Coddington Jr. (1651-1689), was the 11th Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Coddington Ranking

In the United States, the name Coddington is the 10,248th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Ireland Migration of the Coddington family to Ireland

Some of the Coddington family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Coddington migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Coddington or a variant listed above:

Coddington Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Coddington, of Lincolnshire, who sailed with the Winthrope Fleet aboard the ship "Ambrose" arriving in Salem, Massachusetts and settled in Rhode Island in 1630 4
  • Mrs. Mary Coddington, of Lincolnshire, who sailed with the Winthrope Fleet aboard the ship "Ambrose" arriving in Salem, Massachusetts and settled in Rhode Island in 1630 4
  • Stockdale Coddington, who landed in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1644 5
  • John Coddington, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1653 5
Coddington Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Coddington, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1844
  • Fred Coddington, who landed in Iowa in 1886 5
  • Mrs. J. Coddington, aged 44, who arrived in America from London, in 1892
  • Sarah Coddington, aged 23, who arrived in America, in 1894
  • Tolin Coddington, aged 30, who arrived in America, in 1894
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Coddington Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Miss Elsie Coddington, who arrived in America, in 1903
  • Mrs. Coddington, who arrived in America, in 1903
  • Julia Coddington, aged 60, who arrived in America, in 1904
  • Emilia Coddington, who arrived in America, in 1904
  • Donald C. Coddington, aged 6, who arrived in America, in 1905
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Coddington migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coddington Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Asher Coddington U.E. born in New Jersey, USA who settled in Parr Town [Saint John], New Brunswick c. 1783; he served in the 2nd American Regiment 6
Coddington Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Coddington, who settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1835

Contemporary Notables of the name Coddington (post 1700) +

  • Edwin Foster Coddington (1870-1950), American astronomer who co-discovered the comet C/1898 L1 (Coddington-Pauly) and the galaxy IC 2574 which later became known as Coddington's nebula
  • Boyd Leon Coddington (1944-2008), American owner of the Boyd Coddington Hot Rod Shop and star of American Hot Rod on TLC
  • W. R. Coddington, American politician, U.S. Collector of Customs, 1874-75 7
  • Thomas Coddington, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Utah, 1924 7
  • Jonathan J. Coddington, American politician, Postmaster at New York City, New York, 1836-42 7
  • Jonathan I. Coddington, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County, 1827 7
  • John C. Coddington, American politician, Mayor of Rahway, New Jersey, 1869-70 7
  • Jacob Coddington, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Sullivan and Ulster counties, 1811-13 7
  • E. W. Coddington, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Gold Democrat National Convention from Florida, 1896 7
  • D. S. Coddington, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 15th District, 1862 7
  • ... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Coddington 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: Nec metuas nec optes
Motto Translation: Neither fear nor wish.


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  5. 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)
  6. 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
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook