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Dodgson History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Dodgson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Dodgson

What does the name Dodgson mean?

The history of the name Dodgson begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from Dodd or Dodda. They were Old English personal names common in England from Lincolnshire on south. The name Dodgson 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 Dodgson family

The surname Dodgson 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 Dodgson family

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

Dodgson Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Dodgson has been recorded under many different variations, including Dodson, Dodshon, Doddson, Doddshon, Doddsaun, Dodsaun, Dodsen, Dodsin, Doddsen, Doddsin, Dodsine, Doddsan and many more.

Early Notables of the Dodgson family

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

Dodgson migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Dodgson or a variant listed above:

Dodgson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Enoch Dodgson, who landed in New York in 1810 4
William Dodgson, aged 37, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1868 4

Dodgson migration to Australia +

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

Dodgson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Dodgson, British Convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 25th June 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Robert Dodgson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 6
Catherine Dodgson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 6
John Dodgson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "John" in 1840 7
Elizabeth Dodgson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "John" in 1840 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dodgson (post 1700) +

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), English author, mathematician, and photographer who under the pen name of Lewis Carroll, wrote "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and others
George Haydock Dodgson (1811-1880), English water-colour painter, born at Liverpool, 16 Aug. 1811 8
Mr. William Dodgson, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1572 to 1573
Stephen Dodgson (1924-2013), British composer and broadcaster, related to Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll)

Historic Events for the Dodgson family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Arthur Dodgson, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 9

The Dodgson 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)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ORLEANA 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Orleana.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN from London 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840John.htm
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html