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Dodd Family History

Dodd Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Dodd(e) Dudd(e) Old English Dodd(a) Dudd(a) a name of uncertain origin which remained in fairly widespread and frequent use from Lincolnshire to Devon and from Essex to Lancashire in England until the 14th century.

English: nickname from Middle English dod a word of uncertain meaning possibly a ‘lumpish thickset person’ (compare modern English dialect dod ‘bunch or heap’) or by extension a ‘foolish person’ (compare Middle English dode-mused ‘stupid’) or perhaps a derivative of dodden ‘to shave (the head) to trim (hair)’ hence ‘the hairless or close-cropped one’.

English: possibly a modern variant of Daud or Dowd the former arising from the Middle English personal name Daud(e) an extended form of Daw and the latter from the Middle English personal name Doude perhaps a side-form of either Dodde or of Daude a pet form of Ralph.

Irish: of English origin (see 1 above) taken to Sligo in the 16th century by a Shropshire family; also sometimes adopted by bearers of the Gaelic name Ó Dubhda (see Dowd).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Dodd family from?

You can see how Dodd families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dodd family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dodd families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,953 Dodd families living in Lancashire. This was about 15% of all the recorded Dodd's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Dodd families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dodd surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Dodd ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dodd. 8% of Dodd men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Dodd women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dodd were Dairy Farmer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Dodd | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Dodd family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 345,000 census records available for the last name Dodd. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dodd census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dodd

Passenger Lists

There are 34,000 immigration records available for the last name Dodd. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dodd immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 49,000 military records available for the last name Dodd. For the veterans among your Dodd ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Dodd family history

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What is the average Dodd lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Dodd life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Dodd in 1941 was 36, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dodd

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dodd ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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