Scudder
A surname that likely began as an occupational name, probably for a shooter or archer, though its exact origin is not certain.
The #8,308 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,399 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The old surname evidence suggests Scudder was used as an occupational name. Bardsley notes it as probably brought from Holland and equivalent to English "Shooter," which points to a link with a word for one who shoots, likely an archer or marksman. The spelling may also reflect Dutch or Low German influence on an English occupational surname, but the exact source word is not fully secure.
History
The name appears in English records by the early 1600s and is found in London and other English counties, with later bearers also appearing in North America. Because the historical sources are brief and somewhat tentative, the name’s precise origin has been debated rather than settled. It survives today in relatively small numbers in the United States and elsewhere in the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nineteenth-century surname scholars sometimes grouped Scudder with names meaning a swift or active person, but Bardsley specifically suggested an occupational link to a "Shooter."
From the historical record
“SkotQding; v. Scolding. Skudder, Scudder.— Occup. Probably an immigrant from Hol- land, equivalent to English Shooter, q.v. 1604. Married— Robert Skntter and”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)