Ellaway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Ellaway, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. The ancestors of the Ellaway family lived in Aberdeen but originally from Clackmannan. The name may be derived from the Gaelic alla which means wild and mhagh which means field.

Early Origins of the Ellaway family

The surname Ellaway was first found in the county of Clackmannanshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Chlach Mhannainn), nicknamed the "wee county," it is the smallest Council Area of Scotland, located in southeastern Scotland. According to Black, the most likely source of their origin was Alloa in the Aberdeen area. 1

The first recorded spelling of the name was Alleway, about the year 1359. Alloway is a former Scottish village that is now a suburb of Ayr, best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem "Tam o' Shanter." In North America, the word Alloway is a Delaware Indian term meaning "beautiful tail" and refers to the black fox.

Early History of the Ellaway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ellaway research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1440 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Ellaway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellaway Spelling Variations

Although Medieval Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many spelling variations of Scottish single names. Ellaway has been written Alloway, Alleway, Aloveious, Alloweious, Allaway, Alliway, Alloway, Aloway, Alaway, Aleway, Alewy, Alloways, Allawy, Aylwey and many more.

Early Notables of the Ellaway family

More information is included under the topic Early Ellaway Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ellaway family to Ireland

Some of the Ellaway family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellaway migration to the United States +

Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to Ireland or Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Ellaway:

Ellaway Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Ellaway, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1864 2

Ellaway migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ellaway Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Daniel Ellaway, aged 27, a sawyer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" 3
Daniel Ellaway, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" in 1849 3

The Ellaway 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: Dei dono sum quod sum
Motto Translation: By the bounty of God I am what I am.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SIR EDWARD PARRY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SirEdwardParry.htm