Show ContentsDodrill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient history of the Dodrill name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided close to a region called Dodda's ridge. The name is derived from the local of Dodridge, likely in Devon or the southwest country. [1]

Early Origins of the Dodrill family

The surname Dodrill was first found in Devon where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Richard de Doderig as holding lands there at that time. [2] Later Richard Doderugge was listed in Devon in 1353. [3]

Early History of the Dodrill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dodrill research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1218, 1555, 1610, 1621, 1625, 1628, 1646, 1650, 1656 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Dodrill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dodrill 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 Dodrill include Dodderidge, Doderidge, Dodderige, Doderige, Dotteridge and many more.

Early Notables of the Dodrill family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Doddridge (1555-1628), an English lawyer, justice of the king's bench, Member of Parliament. He was son of Richard Doddridge, merchant, of Barnstaple. [4]Pentecost Dodderidge (died 1650), was an English...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dodrill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dodrill Ranking

In the United States, the name Dodrill is the 15,862nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [5]

Migration of the Dodrill family

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 Dodrill or a variant listed above: Davie Dodderidge who settled in Barbados in 1635; along with Jarvis and Thomas; George Dodderidge settled in Virginia in 1670 along with John; Thomas Dodderidge settled in Virginia in 1635..


Contemporary Notables of the name Dodrill (post 1700) +

  • Dale Dodrill (b. 1926), former American football defensive tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Forest Dewey Dodrill (1902-1997), American surgeon who completed the first successful open heart surgery


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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/


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