Recorded in many forms as shown below, this is an English surname of early medieval complex origin. However spelt and as can be seen there are several spellings which only just seem to be related, this is one of the patronymic forms of the medieval male given name Hodge, a nickname form of Roger. Roger or Rodger was introduced into the British Isles after the famous Conquest of 1066. It means "Renowned spear" from the pre 7th century Norse-German name Hrodthgeirr. The English had difficulty in pronouncing the Norman (French) 'r' sound, hence the development of Hodge as well as Rod(g)er. Early examples of Hodge are recorded as Hogge, as in the Fines Court Records of Lincolnshire in 1199. The modern spellings appear in the 16th century, include Hodge, Hodges, Hodgeson, Hodgson, Hodgett, Hodgetts, Hogate, Hodgate, Hadgate, Hadigate, Hudgate, and probably others. Early recording examples include Ricardus Hoge in the Poll Tax Rolls for Yorkshire in 1379, Ebbota Hoggese in the same rolls, William Hodges listed in the Suffolk Subsidy Rolls of 1524, and William Hoddgate at St Botolphs without Aldgate in the city of London, in 1647. Where it occurs the final 's' is a reduced form of 'son of '. A coat of arms was originally granted in Gloucester in 1610 or thereabouts, and has the blazon of a gold field, charged with three black crescents, and on a black canton, a gold coronet. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alicia Hogges. This was dated 1327, in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset, during the reign of King Edward 11nd, and known as Edward of Caernafon, 1307 - 1327. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.