Dodgen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Dodgen comes from Dodd or Dodda. They were Old English personal names common in England from Lincolnshire on south. The name Dodgen denotes "son of Dodd or Dodda." 1

"Alwinus Dodesone occurs in Domesday as a tenant in chief, Hertfordshire, 142. He was doubtless of Saxon blood." 2

Early Origins of the Dodgen family

The surname Dodgen was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Alternatively, the family could have originated in Dutson, a hamlet northeast of Launceston in Cornwall.

Early rolls include the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which listed: Benedict Dod, Northamptonshire; Peter Dod, Oxfordshire; Richard Dod, Cambridgeshire; and William Dod, Salop (Shropshire.) 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 were the first to list the "Dodson" variant: Magota Dodson; Johannes Dod; William Daudson; Willelmus Daud; and Johannes Daudson. 3

Charles Dodgson (1832-1898), the famed English writer of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and many more, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll was born in Daresbury, Cheshire. His father, also named Charles Dodgson (c. 1722-1795) was born in Howden, Yorkshire. And his father, Christopher Dodgson (1696-1750) was born there too.

Early History of the Dodgen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dodgen research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Dodgen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dodgen Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Dodgen has appeared include Dodson, Dodshon, Doddson, Doddshon, Doddsaun, Dodsaun, Dodsen, Dodsin, Doddsen, Doddsin, Dodsine, Doddsan and many more.

Early Notables of the Dodgen family

More information is included under the topic Early Dodgen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dodgen Ranking

In the United States, the name Dodgen is the 16,973^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Dodgen family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Dodgen arrived in North America very early: Benjamin Dodson settled in Virginia in 1635; Edward Dodson settled in St. Christopher in 1635; George Dodson settled in Barbados in 1678; with his wife Elizabeth, and son George.

Contemporary Notables of the name Dodgen (post 1700) +

Lieutenant General Larry J. Dodgen (1949-2010), Commander, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command
Carolyn Dodgen Meadows (b. 1965), American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Georgia, 2000; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Georgia, 2004, 2008 5

The Dodgen 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: Virtus semper eadam
Motto Translation: Virtue is always the same.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html