Hudson in my family tree
English: from the popular medieval given name Hudde, which is of complex origin. It is usually explained as a pet form of Hugh (a short form of any of the various Germanic compound names with the first element hug heart, mind, spirit), but there was a pre-existing Old English personal name, Huda, underlying placenames such as Huddington Worcestershire. This personal name may well still have been in use at the time of the Norman Conquest. If so, it was absorbed by the Norman Hugh and its many diminutives. [Reaney, 1967] adduces evidence that Hudde was also regarded as a pet form of Richard.
Variant: Hutt.
Diminutives: Huddle; Huddy (Devon and Cornwall);
Patronymics: Hudson , Hutson.
The surname Hudd is now found mainly in the Bristol area. However, the given name was once common throughout England, and especially in Yorkshire. The patronymic Hudson is very common and widely distributed, but is still most frequent in Yorkshire.
Hudson or variants was the 130th most common name in England and Wales according to a survey taken by H.M.Treasury in 1944, with a relative frequency of 0.09%.
Reaney 1967
The Origin of English Surnames
Routledge and Kegan Paul, London
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