Show ContentsRodden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Rodden family

The surname Rodden 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 Rodden family

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

Rodden Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Rodden family

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

Rodden Ranking

In the United States, the name Rodden is the 16,025th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Rodden family to Ireland

Some of the Rodden 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 Rodden migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rodden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hugh Rodden, who arrived in America in 1812 [4]
  • Edward, John, Mary Rodden, who all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870

Canada Rodden migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rodden Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Charles Rodden, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1832
  • John Rodden, aged 24, a carpenter, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834
  • Catharine Rodden, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834
  • Patrick Rodden, aged 36, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834
  • Mary Rodden, aged 34, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Rodden migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Rodden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Michael Rodden, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arawa" in 1884

Contemporary Notables of the name Rodden (post 1700) +

  • Beth Rodden (b. 1980), American rock climber from San Francisco, California
  • Lois Rodden (1928-2003), Canadian astrologer, astrological data collector and founder of Astrodatabank from Lang, Saskatchewan
  • Edmund Anthony Rodden (1901-1986), Canadian professional NHL ice hockey player from Mattawa, Ontario
  • Michael James Rodden (1891-1978), Canadian sports journalist, NHL referee, Canadian football coach, the first person elected to both the Hockey Hall of Fame (1962) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1964)


The Rodden 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. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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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