Show ContentsHoddey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Hoddey family

The surname Hoddey was first found in the parish of Creed in Cornwall where "Pennans or Pennance, a name supposed to have been imposed as a commutation for sins, which the term seems to imply, belonged formerly to the family of Huddy; by them it was sold to Mr. Thomas Lower, brother of the famous Dr. Lower." 1

"Nethway, [Torquay, Devon] at one time belonged to Sir John Hody, Chief Justice of the King's Bench 1440, and the family continued to live there until 1696. Sir William Hody was Lord Chief Baron in 1487." 2

Early History of the Hoddey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hoddey research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1046, 1092, 1153, 1425, 1436, 1441, 1451, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1522, 1539, 1600, 1659, 1675, 1677, 1679, 1682, 1685, 1689, 1692 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Hoddey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hoddey Spelling Variations

Hoddey has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Huddy, Hoddy, Hoddye, Huddye, Huddey, Hoddey, Hudy, Hody, Hodey and many more.

Early Notables of the Hoddey family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir John Hody (d. 1441), Chief Justice of the King's Bench, of an old Devonshire family, "son of Thomas Hody, lord of the manor of Kington Magna, near Shaftesbury, Dorset, and king's escheator there under Henry V, by Margaret, daughter of John Cole of Nitheway, Torbay. From 1425 his name often occurs in the year-books, and he must have become a serjeant-at-law before 1436, for in that year he contributed as a serjeant to the equipment...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hoddey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hoddey migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hoddeys to arrive on North American shores:

Hoddey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mary Hoddey, who landed in Maryland in 1667 3


  1. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  2. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  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)


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