Ellenwood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name of the Ellenwood family is derived from the given name Alan, which is thought to mean "little rock" or "headstone." The name was popular among the Breton followers of William the Conqueror due to St. Alan, a 5th-century bishop from Quimper, Brittany; during the Middle Ages, parents often named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Ellenwood family

The surname Ellenwood was first found in the lands of Shropshire, where Walter FitzAlan of Brittany held a family seat after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The parish of Mileham, Norfolk is of early significance to the family. "This place, at the time of the Conquest, was given to Alan, son of Flaald, and ancestor of the Fitz-Alans, earls of Arundel, who erected a strong castle here, of which some vestiges may still be traced, within the area of an intrenchment of twelve acres; the site of the keep is pointed out by an inner intrenchment by which it was surrounded." 1

Alain de Lille (1114-1203), was "one of the most illustrious scholars of his age, and for his attainments in theology, philosophy, history, poetry, and natural science, acquired the designation of 'Doctor universalis.' His nationality has not been ascertained with unquestioned accuracy. " 2

Alan of Beccles (d. 1240) was official secretary to Bishops Pandulf and Thomas de Blundeville of Norwich between the years 1218 and 1236 and Alan of Tewkesbury, was a writer of the twelfth century, according to the express statement of Gervase of Canterbury, an Englishman by descent. 2

Early History of the Ellenwood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ellenwood research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1430, 1457, 1532, 1583, 1594, 1596, 1608, 1610, 1611, 1612, 1614, 1621, 1634, 1635, 1637, 1658, 1660, 1661, 1663, 1668, 1671, 1673, 1677, 1681, 1685, 1686, 1692, 1694, 1700, 1705, 1717, 1726, 1738, 1764, 1789 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Ellenwood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellenwood Spelling Variations

Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Alan, Allan, Allen, Alleyn, Allayne, Allaine, Allain, Allanach, Allanshaw, MacAllan and many more.

Early Notables of the Ellenwood family

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was William Allen (1532-1594), an English prelate; Francis Allen (ca.1583-1658), an English financier, politician and regicide who sided with parliament in the civil War against Charles I; John Allen, or John Allin (1596-1671) English settler America in 1637-38, one of the founders of Dedham, Massachusetts; Thomas Allen (1608-1673) English nonconformist minister and divine from Norwich; Richard Alleine (1610-1681), an English Puritan divine; Sir Thomas Allin, 1st Baronet (1612-1685), an officer of the Royal Navy; William Alleine (1614-1677), an English minister; John Alleyn or Allen (1621-1663), Cornish politician, MP for St Michael, Cornwall in...
Another 194 words (14 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ellenwood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ellenwood family to Ireland

Some of the Ellenwood family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 127 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellenwood migration to the United States +

Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Ellenwood:

Ellenwood Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

V. Mc D. Ellenwood, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
Helen H. Ellenwood, aged 42, who settled in America, in 1911
Minnie Ellenwood, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1912
William Edward Ellenwood, aged 42, who landed in America, in 1912
Selkirk Ellenwood, aged 14, who settled in America, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ellenwood (post 1700) +

L. W. Ellenwood, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Ohio 15th District, 1900 3
John Ellenwood, American politician, Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention 5th District, 1835 3

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html