Elderton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Elderton

What does the name Elderton mean?

The name Elderton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived in a region or farm with alder trees 1 or the farm of the great and wise warrior. 2

Early Origins of the Elderton family

The surname Elderton was first found in Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, where Alderton, parishes or various sizes are still found today. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists: Aldritine in Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire; Aldritone, Wiltshire; and Alretuna, Suffolk. 3

The first record in early rolls was that of Alexander de Alreton who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1191. Later, John de Aldrinton was found in the Assize Rolls for Worcestershire in 1221 and much later, Richard Alderton was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1525. 4

Early History of the Elderton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elderton research. Another 24 words (2 lines of text) covering the year 1592 is included under the topic Early Elderton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elderton 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 Elderton family name include Alderton, Elderton, Eldarton, Aldarten, Eldertin and others.

Early Notables of the Elderton family

William Elderton (d. 1592?), English ballad-writer, a notorious tippler and a ready writer of ballads5...

Elderton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Elderton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Elderton, British settler travelling from Gravesend, England aboard the ship "Clontarf" arriving in Canterbury, New Zealand on 16th March 1860
Mrs. Elderton, British settler travelling from Gravesend, England aboard the ship "Clontarf" arriving in Canterbury, New Zealand on 16th March 1860
Child Elderton, British settler travelling from Gravesend, England aboard the ship "Clontarf" arriving in Canterbury, New Zealand on 16th March 1860

Sources +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print