Show ContentsElwick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Elwick family

The surname Elwick was first found in Durham, at Elwick, a township, in the parish of Hart, union of Stockton. "Robert de Brus gave 'Ailewic' in 'Hertenes,' in frank marriage with his daughter Agatha, to Ralph, son of Ribald, of Middleham." 1

Records of the family are scant. The first record of the family was found in the Register of Freemen of the City of York in 1512 where Ralph Elwick was listed. John Ellyk was also listed in the same source in 1569. 2 Elwick Hall is a nearby parish.

Early History of the Elwick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elwick research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Elwick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elwick Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Elwick family name include Elwick, Elswick, Elwyke, Elwike, Elswell, Ellswell, Ellswick and many more.

Early Notables of the Elwick family

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

Migration of the Elwick family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Elwick surname or a spelling variation of the name include: settlers, who arrived along the eastern seaboard, from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.


Contemporary Notables of the name Elwick (post 1700) +

  • Nathaniel Elwick (1675-1750), British merchant, President of Fort St George, India (1721-1725)


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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