Contents [hide]

Eshelman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Eshelman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Eshelman is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Eshelman family lived in close proximity to an ash tree. As such, the name has local references to towns called Ash in Derbyshire, Surrey, Hampshire, and many other places.

Early Origins of the Eshelman family

The surname Eshelman was first found in the county of Devon in southern England. The first person to settle in the locality was D'Esse Court, a companion of King William, Duke of Normandy who landed in England in 1066 A.D. and was granted lands by his liege lord in the vicinity of Exeter, Devon.

Alternatively the family could have originated in Esh or Ash, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Lanchester in Durham. "The manor gave name, at a very early period, to a family of considerable local consequence, who held the estate, with little interruption, from the middle of the 13th century till the time of Henry VIII." 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: John de le Es, in Norfolk; Roger de le Es, also in Norfolk; Agnes Ate Nasse in Oxfordshire; and Henry de Asse in Warwickshire. 2

The reference "History of Norfolk" list Joan atte-Eshe in 1345, Roger atte-Ashe, temp. Edward II and John at-Ash, of Bintre, Norfolk in 1349. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had only one listing of the family, Robertus del Asch. 2

Another source notes: "There are places so called in Derbyshire, Surrey, Hampshire, and elsewhere. It seems probable, however, that the name was sometimes adopted from residence near a remarkable ash tree. We find the Atten-Ashe of the XIV. cent. contracted into Nashe soon after." 4

Early History of the Eshelman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eshelman research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1326, 1597, 1605, 1609, 1618, 1636, 1640, 1644, 1646, 1651, 1652, 1656, 1658, 1660, 1670, 1671, 1681, 1686, 1695, 1697, 1717, 1718, 1735, 1759, 1782 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Eshelman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eshelman Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Eshelman are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Eshelman include Esse, Ash, Ashe, Aschey and others.

Early Notables of the Eshelman family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Ashe (1597-1658), an English clothier and politician for Westbury and later for Somerset at various times between 1640 and 1656, upon his death he left a landed estate valued at £6000 a year; Edward Ashe (ca.1609-1656), brother of...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eshelman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eshelman Ranking

In the United States, the name Eshelman is the 8,397^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Eshelman family to Ireland

Some of the Eshelman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 132 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eshelman migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Eshelman, or a variant listed above:

Eshelman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Eshelman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 6
Johan Eshelman, aged 19, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731 6
Johan Albrecht Eshelman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 6

Eshelman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Frances M. Eshelman, aged 28, who arrived in America, in 1910
Martin Eshelman, aged 22, who arrived in America, in 1913
William Eshelman, aged 58, who arrived in America, in 1916

Contemporary Notables of the name Eshelman (post 1700) +

Kathy Eshelman, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 2008 7
E. B. Eshelman, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1864, 1888 7
William Robert Eshelman (1921-2004), American pacifist, editor, and librarian
Dave Eshelman (b. 1948), American jazz trombonist, composer, arranger, band-leader and music-educator
Vaughn Eshelman (b. 1969), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1995 to 1997 for the Boston Red Sox
Cheston Lee Eshelman (1917-2004), American inventor, aviator, and manufacturer, founder of Cheston L. Eshelman Company and Eshelman Motors Corporation
Virginia Eshelman Johnson (1925-2013), American sexologist and psychologist, best known for her work on the Masters and Johnson sexuality research team

The Eshelman Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Non nobis sed omnibus
Motto Translation: Not for us but for all.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html