Map of England showing where the Hodgkinson arms are recorded
The Hodgkinson arms were recorded in Middlesex, c. 1620.
Middlesex was the county around London, and City money flowed straight into it. Merchants and officials bought estates within reach of the capital, and a new estate brought a coat of arms with it.
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 Hodgkinson 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 Middlesex.
Origin & History of the Hodgkinson Family in England
The surname Hodgkinson is a patronymic name, which means it was originally created to identify a person as the son of someone named Hodge. Hodge was a common medieval nickname for Roger, a name brought to England by the Normans. By the time the name became established in the early seventeenth century, families bearing this title had spread across various English counties. Historical records confirm that members of the Hodgkinson family were living in Middlesex by 1620, placing them in the heart of the country during a period of significant social and political change. These early ancestors were likely part of the growing merchant or artisan classes who helped shape the local economy of the region. Because the name was tied to a popular nickname, it developed independently in several different areas, leading to a wide distribution of the family across England over the following centuries.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hodge
A medieval diminutive form of the Germanic name Roger meaning famous spear.
This name
HodgkinsonSon of the little Roger, referring to a descendant of a person named Hodge.
also spelled
Hodgkins
Related arms
Hodgkins, or Hodgskinsvariant spelling
Worsleyrecorded with Hodgkinson, same area
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., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
The National Archives, Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers, 1620
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cross symbolChristian faith and service
cinquefoilHope and joy
cross symbolChristian faith and service
cinquefoilHope and joy
