The holder of a soc or socage tenure was referred to as a socager (Anglo-Norman) or socman (Anglo-Saxon, also spelt sochman).

It ranged from service in the king's host, distinguished only by equipment from that of the knight, to petty renders scarcely distinguishable from those of the rent-paying tenant or socager.

In its original, historic sense, the term Dienstmann referred to men who were obliged to pay duties or render socage to their liege lords a socager, or socman, or those who were ministeriales of various ranks.