Show ContentsElcome History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Elcome family

The surname Elcome was first found in Devon at Ellacombe, a place under the Haldon Hills, where the 'de Ellacombes' were resident in 1306 1

In Wiltshire, Elcombe dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was known as Elecome. 2 Literally, the place name means "valley where elder trees grow," or "valley of a man called Ella." 3

More recently it is a "tything, in the parish of Wroughton, union of Highworth and Swindon, hundred of Elstub and Everley" 4 but now is a hamlet in Wroughton.

Early History of the Elcome family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elcome research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1790, 1816, 1835, 1850 and 1885 are included under the topic Early Elcome History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elcome Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Elcome are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Elcome include: Ellacombe, Ellicombe, Ellicomb, Ellacomb, Elcom, Elcum, Elcomb, Elacombe, Elacomb, Ellcum and many more.

Early Notables of the Elcome family

Distinguished members of the family include Henry Thomas Ellacombe or Ellicombe (1790-1885), English divine and antiquary, son of the Rev. William Ellicombe, rector of Alphington, Devonshire. He originally "applied himself until 1816 to the study of engineering in Chatham Dockyard, under the direction of Brunel. In 1816 he proceeded to the degree of M.A., and was ordained for the curacy of Cricklade, a Wiltshire parish in the diocese of Gloucester. In...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elcome Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Elcome family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Elcome or a variant listed above: settlers, who arrived along the eastern seaboard, from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.



The Elcome 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: Nulla fraus tuta latebris
Motto Translation: No deceit is safe in its hiding place.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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