Recorded in many forms including Stoddard, Stodhart, Studdard, Stothard, Studdert, Stooders and Studders, this is an English surname, but one which is also widely recorded in Ireland and sometimes Scotland. The name has two possible sources. The first is occupational and describes a breeder of horses from the Old English pre 7th century word "stod", meaning a stud farm. To thios prefix has been "fused" the word "hierde", meaning a herdsman. The second possible source is again Old English from the word "stott", meaning castrated cattle, and "hierde", as before. The surname is medieval, and the development has included the following recordings taken from ancient surviving rolls and charters: Geoffrey Stodhurd of Northumberland in 1219, Richard le Stodehard of Yorkshire in 1332, and Thomas Stoderd, also of Yorkshire, in 1481. Amongst the later recordings taken from church registers are those of George Stoddard who married Anne Sexton on November 14th 1559, at St. Dunstans-in-the-East, Stepney, Edward Stoddard who married Agnes Smith on October 7th 1577 at Tottenham, and in Ireland Abraham Stooders of Templemore, County Longford, a witness there on June 1st 1816, and Mary Studders who married Sam Matthews at Easky, County Sligo, on June 13th 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Vlfus Stodhyrda. This was dated 1195, in the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland, during the reign of King Richard, The Lionheart, 1189 - 1199. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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