Show ContentsRoddan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Roddan family

The surname Roddan was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat at Roddam Hall since 1296 when William Roddam had the hall built. "Roddam Hall is a handsome modern mansion, standing on a bold eminence which on the north forms the bank of a deep romantic dell watered by a tributary of the Till. A stone coffin and an urn were dug up here in 1796." 1

John of Roddam held land in Little Houghton in 1337. The Roddam family has held the hall until at least 1776 when it was owned by Admiral Robert Roddam (1719-1808).

Roddam is derived from the Old English word "rod" which means "clearing" 2. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the place name Rodden in Shropshire. There is also a Rodden River in Shropshire.

Early History of the Roddan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roddan research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1461, 1491, 1591, 1755 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Roddan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roddan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Roddam, Rodden, Roddan, Roddin, Rodan and others.

Early Notables of the Roddan family

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Roddan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Roddan family to Ireland

Some of the Roddan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Roddan migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Roddan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Roddan, who settled in Philadelphia in 1833
  • John Roddan, who landed in Mississippi in 1847 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Roddan (post 1700) +

  • Edward L. Roddan (b. 1899), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay, 1951-53 4
  • Ron Roddan (1931-2023), British athletics coach, best known for coaching British former sprinter Linford Christie
  • Gilbert Roddan, Agriculturist


The Roddan 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 deficit alter
Motto Translation: Another succeeds.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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