Show ContentsElstun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Elstun family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Nottinghamshire or Wiltshire. The name could also be classified as a baptismal name as in the son of Elstan and an earlier personal name Dunstan.

Early Origins of the Elstun family

The surname Elstun was first found in Nottinghamshire at Elston, a small village that lies between the rivers Trent and Devon and dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Elvestune, Eluestune and Eluestune 1 and probably meant "farmstead of a man called Eilafr" from an Old Scandinavian personal name + tun. 2

The less likely local that the name could have been derived from is Elston in Wiltshire, a hamlet in the parish of St. George which was also listed in the Domesday Book, but as Wintreburne. 1

The variant Elstob is most interesting. This family hails from Elstob, a township in the parish of Stainton, County Durham. 3 4 This very small township (only 27 inhabitants in the late 1800's) 5 was the homestead of some remarkable people who we will soon discover. Early Assize Rolls listed Philip de Ellestob and William de Ellestobe 1235-1236 and Philip de Ellestob in 1269. 6

Further to the north in Scotland, the name hails from "the lands of Elliston near Bowden, Roxburghshire where John, son of Iliue de Iliuestun or Ylif de Ylifstun, held these lands in the reign of Alexander II, and Laurence Ylifstun is mentioned in 1249. " 7

Early History of the Elstun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elstun research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1587, 1637, 1662, 1673, 1683, 1685, 1715, 1718, 1721, 1758, 1774, 1790, 1791, 1801, 1831 and 1864 are included under the topic Early Elstun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elstun Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Elstun include Elston, Elstone, Elliston, Elsden, Elsdon, Elson and others.

Early Notables of the Elstun family

Distinguished members of the family include Elizabeth Elstob (1683-1758), Anglo-Saxon scholar, born on 29 Sept. 1683 in St. Nicholas parish, Newcastle-on-Tyne. She was the sister of William Elstob (1673-1715.) He was an English divine, son of Ralph Elstob, merchant of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was baptised at All Saints' Church, Newcastle, on 1 Jan. 1673. 8William Elstob (1673-1715), was an English divine, son of Ralph Elstob, merchant of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was baptised...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elstun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Elstun migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Elstun or a variant listed above:

Elstun Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Belle Elstun, aged 56, who arrived in New York in 1924 aboard the ship "George Washington" from Southampton, England 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Elstun (post 1700) +

  • Gene Elstun, American basketball player for the Kansas Jayhawks (1956-1957)


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. 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)
  8. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  9. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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