The Dodd surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 30,732 people carried this name — #1,144 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 9,600 people counted. That is up 2% from 30,029 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dodd surname

An English surname from Middle English derived from a Middle English given name of obscure origin.

Uncertain, but possibly from any of the following: # Old English personal names Dodd(a), Dudd(a) # The Proto-Germanic root *dudd-/*dodd- (“rounded”), denoting a rounded, lumpish man, or a stupid person. # The same root as Old English dydrian (“to deceive”), denoting a deceiver. # The verb dod (“to make bare, to lop off”), to denote a fairly hairless person.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dodd» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘the son of Dod’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Benedict Dod, Northamptonshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Dod, Dodd, Dodds, Dods, Dodson, Dodshon and Dodshun.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 245 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 22 people named Dodd.

Most of them — 22 — were born outside France.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 22

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

21 people named Dodd live in Switzerland.

They live in 3 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Bern.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Bern 8
Zurich 7
Geneva 6

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

25 people named Dodd is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 25

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Dodd was found among the farmers of 7 counties.

It was most frequent in Northumberland: 67 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 149. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Northumberland 67
Cheshire 32
Berkshire 20
Staffordshire 16
Oxfordshire 15
Shropshire 14
Devon 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Dodd was recorded 12 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1665th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 24. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

79 families named Dodd, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 491 people lived in those households, 6.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 15
Pennsylvania 14
South Carolina 14
North Carolina 11
Connecticut 7
New York 7
Maryland 6
Virginia 3
Maine 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 237 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Dodd in American newspapers,
1883–1921.

Newspaper page from The Philipsburg Mail carrying the name Dodd
The Philipsburg Mail 1895-06-27
Newspaper page from The Opelousas Courier carrying the name Dodd
The Opelousas Courier 1883-11-17
Newspaper page from The Columbus Dispatch carrying the name Dodd
The Columbus Dispatch 1921-11-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 7,539 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dodd in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

82,042 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dodd. The most, 13,270, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 3.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 22,197
Victoria 18,817
South Australia 15,508
Queensland 11,749
Western Australia 10,416
Tasmania 2,629
Northern Territory 423
ACT (Canberra) 194

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dodd.

Who carried it

People named Dodd,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Barbara Dodd d. 2021 · psychologist
  • George H. Dodd d. 2020 · perfumer
  • Judith Ann Dodd d. 1971
  • Margaret Frances Dodd d. 1928
  • Ivy Mira Frances Dodd d. 1965
  • Georgina Violet Dodd d. 1931

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dodd,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,077 records

3,077 records of the Dodd name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,091
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 574
  • Other U.S. records 1,412
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph James Dodd

    Born 1946; from Astoria, New York. U.S. Marine Corps, mortarman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Rob R. Dodd

    Born 1921 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Forrest; filling station attendant. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Springfield, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Kate Dodd

    Arrived at New York in 1890 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool, aged 32; servant. From Cork, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 3,077 records for Dodd in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia2,021 records

2,021 records of the Dodd name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 875
  • Tasmanian Names Index 434
  • Other Australian records 712
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Aaron Dodd

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the William Miles, sailing from Downs in 1828. Native of Loughborough, Leicestershire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1840. Married 1840 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Sarah Dodd

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Emma Eugenia, sailing from London in 1843. Native of Liverpool, Lancashire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1846. Married 1846 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Joseph Dodd

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Coromandel, sailing from Sheerness in 1838. Native of Sherborne, Gloucestershire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,021 records for Dodd in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada160 records

160 records of the Dodd name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 77
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 25
  • Other Canadian records 58
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Dan'l Dodd

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Winnipeg, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record William Ernest Dodd

    Died 1995, aged 74; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John Murray Dodd

    Buried in 2000 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 68.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 160 records for Dodd in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom109 records

109 records of the Dodd name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 80
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 16
  • Other British records 13
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Margaret Ann Dodd

    Will proved in 1941; of Rhosllanerchrugog, Denbigh.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Dodd

    Buried in 1847 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 24.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Dodd

    Northumberland Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 109 records for Dodd in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand39 records

39 records of the Dodd name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 23
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 14
  • Other New Zealand records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Dodd

    Buried in 1899 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 73.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Dodd

    Died 1948, aged 60; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alice Margaret Joan Dodd

    Died 1989, aged 68; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 39 records for Dodd in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands9 records

9 records of the Dodd name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Dodd

    Died 1821 in Rotterdam, aged 25.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Nancy Winifred Dodd

    Married in 1939 in 's-Gravenhage.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 9 records for Dodd in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Belgium2 records

2 records of the Dodd name in Belgium
  • Belgian population registers 1
  • Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Henricus Hubertus Ferdinandus Dodd

    Married in 1857 in Aelst; "koophandelaer", born 1828 in Antwerpen.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Aalst (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Dodd in Belgium.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Germany2 records

2 records of the Dodd name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Wilh Dodd

    From Eupen. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 29 April 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 258).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Dodd in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Dodd name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Wilfred Edgar Dodd

    Born 1923 in Germany; died 1999 in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dodd.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dodd is.
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Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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