Dodd

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Dodd

Pronounced DOD /ˈdɒd/High

Meaning: Dodd is an English surname derived from the medieval given name Dudda or Dodde, a byname whose exact sense is uncertain but which may have meant something like 'rounded' or 'lumpish'. Like many surnames it later saw occasional first-name use.Low

In 30 seconds: Dodd is a short English surname from the old personal name Dudda, used now and then as a first name (said 'DOD'). Its original sense is uncertain.

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowEnglish

MeaningDodd is an English surname derived from the medieval given name Dudda or Dodde, a byname whose exact sense is uncertain but which may have meant something like 'rounded' or 'lumpish'. Like many surnames it later saw occasional first-name use.

U.S. rank (1973)#4193 ↗ Rising

1973 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1964

Total births (all-time)≈ 306

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dodd comes from the Old English personal name Dudda or Dodde, a byname of uncertain meaning that became a surname. Its move into first-name use follows the familiar American habit of turning family surnames into given names.

As a given name it was always a genuine rarity, borne by only a few dozen boys a year at its faint 1960s showing, and it dropped away by the 1970s. Dodd remains far more common as a last name; the given-name use is a scattered, family-honoring choice rather than a trend.

Did you know? Dodd survives more as a surname — as in the entertainer Ken Dodd — than as a first name, and it has cousins in the surnames Dodson and Dodds, all tracing to the same medieval byname.

Overall data confidence 50%

References — Dodd surname — From medieval byname Dudda/Dodde

Variations

DodDodds

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Dodd…

Todd— a near-rhyme one-syllable surname-name of the same feel

Hobson— another vintage surname used occasionally as a first name

Judd— a fellow English choice

Rodd— another vintage pick

Tadd— another English name

Explore names like Dodd

By themerare vintage surname-name

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Dodd mean?

Dodd is an English surname from the medieval personal name Dudda or Dodde, whose exact meaning is uncertain.

How do you pronounce Dodd?

It's said DOD /dɒd/ — one syllable, rhyming with 'cod'.

Is Dodd a boy or girl name?

Dodd is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Dodd?

Dodd has always been very rare as a first name in the U.S., far better known as a surname.