Fun Facts About the Name Hodge
- 68 babies named Hodge: U.S. records list 68 babies given the name Hodge from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Hodge Mean?
Hodge is an English pet form of the given name Roger, so it carries Roger's meaning rather than one of its own. Roger goes back to Old High German Hruodgēr, made of hrōd ("fame, glory") and gēr ("spear"). Literally the name means "fame-spear," which is usually rendered in English as "renowned spearman."
The shortened, familiar form does not alter that sense; Hodge is best understood as a medieval nickname-style shortening of Roger, not as a separate word with its own root. The name is also a surname, and when Hodge is used as a first name it is generally transferred from that surname, keeping the same Roger-derived meaning.
Hodge Name History & Origins
Roger came to England with the Normans after the Conquest of 1066 and became one of the most common men's names of the Middle Ages. From frequent use came a large set of affectionate short forms, and Hodge was one of them. The usual explanation is that the initial R was dropped, giving Rodge and then Hodge; the related pet form Dodge is often explained as Hodge with the H dropped. Both readings reflect a general medieval habit of reshaping common names into short, familiar bynames, and the exact steps are not fully documented.
From such bynames came surnames. Hodge itself became an English surname, and further surnames were built on it: Hodges (from Hodge with a genitive -s), Hodson and Hodgson ("son of Hodge"), and Hodgkin from Hodge with the diminutive suffix -kin. The spelling Hodge settled as the standard form of the base name.
Hodge also passed into ordinary English as a stock name for a countryman or farm laborer. In the 17th and 18th centuries, writers and speakers used "Hodge" the way later English used "Giles" or "yokel" - a generic label for a rustic. Samuel Johnson's cat, kept in the later 1700s, is a well-known bearer of the name, and the name also appears as a nickname for someone named Roger.
As a first name, Hodge is uncommon and is best treated as a transferred use of the surname rather than a name with a separate history of its own. The similar-looking word in hodgepodge is unrelated: it comes from a French dish name, not from the personal name.
How Popular is the Name Hodge?
Hodge has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1925. Its best rank was #2,837 in 1925.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | #13,261 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1962 | #4,297 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #4,247 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1934 | #3,467 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #3,925 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #2,837 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1923 | #4,520 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #4,605 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1921 | #3,335 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1916 | #4,192 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1915 | #2,937 | 8 | 0.0009% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Hodge Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Hodge's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hodge's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.