Show ContentsHoddar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Hoddar is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a maker of hoods. It was originally derived from the Old English hod, which meant "hood." Thus, the original bearer of the name was a maker of hoods. 1

There are a two alternate origins. The name may also be of a local derivation. There was a small hamlet in Yorkshire called Hodd. 2

And another sources notes the name may have been for a "dweller by the River Hodder, [in Lancashire] spelt Hoder, Hodre, in the 14th century." 3

Early Origins of the Hoddar family

The surname Hoddar was first found in Essex where John le Hodder was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1220. We did find an interesting entry pointing to the aforementioned occupational origin, John Hoder who is also called Hodmaker and Hodman in Colchester, Essex in 1361. 4

Exploring the Yorkshire origin, one source notes "it is evident that it must be looked for in Yorkshire," 2 and to underscore this claim the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Anabilla de Hodre; and Isabella de Hedre, as holding lands there at that time.

Early History of the Hoddar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoddar research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1279, 1361, 1661, 1664, 1666, 1672, 1681, 1685, 1693, 1697, 1702 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Hoddar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoddar Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hoddar include Hodder, Hoddar, Hooder, Hoder, Hoader, Hoodar and others.

Early Notables of the Hoddar family

Notables of this surname at this time include: James Hodder (fl. 1661), English arithmetician, a writing-master, with a school in Tokenhouse Yard in Lothbury, in 1661. "After the fire of 1666, he removed to Bromley-by-Bow, where he kept a boarding-school, but subsequently returned to Lothbury. He was first known as the author of ‘Hodder's Arithmetick,’ a popular manual upon which Cocker based his better known work. The two...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hoddar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hoddar family to Ireland

Some of the Hoddar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hoddar family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Edwin Hodder brought his family to land he purchased in Pennsylvania and joined a large group of English settlers who arrived in 1635. Though Pennsylvania was the main stopping place for the Hodder name, other members of the family ventured to New York, Massachusetts, and Virginia. In Newfoundland, John Hodder settled in Trinity Bay in 1780.



The Hoddar 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: Per ignem ferris vicimus
Motto Translation: Even through fire have we conquered with our sword.


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook