Hodgen is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the personal name Roger. The surname is based upon the pet form Hodge. The name Roger is of Old Norman origin and came to England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Many names came to England in this way, as King William the Conqueror encouraged the immigration of skilled tradesmen into his newly conquered country. The name Roger can be loosely translated as "fame-spear." Names based upon military prowess were quite popular in the early medieval period.
The surname Hodgen was first found in Northumberland where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hodgen research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1798 and 1866 are included under the topic Early Hodgen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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. Hodgen has been recorded under many different variations, including Hodgins, Hodgens, Hodgin, Hodgings and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Hodgen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Hodgen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Hodgen or a variant listed above: