Hodgson
A northern English surname meaning “son of Hodge,” with Hodge as a medieval pet form of Roger.
The #3,511 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 30,350 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hodgson is a patronymic surname built from Hodge, a medieval nickname for Roger, plus -son, meaning “son of.” In older English speech, Hodge was a familiar short form of Roger, and the surname therefore originally meant “son of Roger.” The name was especially associated with northern England, where older pronunciations could sound like “Hod-gun.”
History
Lower described Hodgson as an old Newcastle-upon-Tyne name, already found in records from the reign of Edward I, and noted a long-established Northumberland line at Stella and Acton by the 15th century. Bardsley likewise links Hodgson with the northern pronunciation “Hodgun,” and connects it with the nickname Hodge, hence Roger. The surname later spread more widely in England, and in some areas the spelling and pronunciation shifted toward Hodson or Hudson.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same nickname system that produced Hodgson also gave English surnames such as Hudson and Dodgson.
From the historical record
“HODGKINSON". See Roger. HODGSON. The son of Hodge or Roger. This name in the North of England is pronounced Ilodgiu, while in the South it has taken not only the pronunciation, but the spelling, of Hodson or Hudson. The name of Hodgson is ancient at Newcastle- upon-Tyne, being found in records of temp. Edward I.…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom