Map of England showing where the Dodgson arms are recorded
The Dodgson arms were recorded in Lancaster, c. 1620.
Lancashire was divided among a great many small landed families, more than most northern counties. Estates were passed down whole rather than split up, so the same names hold the same ground for centuries in the records.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Dodgson arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Lancaster.
Origin & History of the Dodgson Family in England
The surname Dodgson is a patronymic name, which means it originated as a way to identify a person as the son of someone named Dodge. The name Dodge itself was a common medieval nickname for Roger. By the time records confirm the family was established in Lancaster in 1620, the name had already become a fixed hereditary surname passed down through generations. Families with this name were often deeply rooted in the social and economic life of Northern England, where they worked as farmers, tradespeople, or local craftsmen. Because the name was tied to a common given name, it appeared in various spellings across parish registers and legal documents as the family expanded throughout the region. These early ancestors lived through a period of significant change in England, and their presence in Lancaster suggests they were part of the growing communities that defined the character of the county during the seventeenth century.
Dodgson Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Roger
A Germanic name composed of elements meaning fame and spear.
This name
DodgsonA patronymic surname meaning son of Dodge, which is a medieval diminutive of Roger.
also spelled
Dodson
Dodgshon
Dodgeson
Related arms
Dodsonvariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Reaney, P.H. and Wilson, R.M., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
