The usual source of this interesting name, with the variants Dodshon and Dodshun, is from the Old English pre 7th Century personal name "Dodd(a)" or "Dudd(a)", which remained in fairly widespread and frequent use in England until the 14th Century. It is thought to have been originally a byname of uncertain etymology, but which may have come from a Germanic root used to describe something round and would therefore be a nickname surname for perhaps a round, plump person. In the present form this name is the patronymic (son of) thus, son of a plump man. Edward Dodson aged 21, yrs is recorded as having sailed to St. Christophers, Barbados, aboard the ship, the "John" of London, from the Port of London on October 2 1635. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Magota Dodson, which was dated 1379, in the "Poll Tax Records", Yorkshire, during the reign of King Richard 11, known as "Richard of Bordeaux", 1377 - 1399. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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