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Eldred History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Eldred History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the name Eldred dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name given to a person noted for giving good counsel 1 or perhaps it was "an Anglo-Saxon personal name." 2

Early Origins of the Eldred family

The surname Eldred was first found in Cambridgeshire, at Aldreth, a hamlet that dates back to 1170 when it was listed as Alrehetha in the Pipe Rolls. The name literally means "landing-place by the alders" from the Old English words for "alor" and "hyth." 3 4

However, the surname dates back further and is recorded in the Domesday Book as Ældred, Ældret, Aldret, Eldred, Eldret 5 as holding lands under the Norman King William soon after the Conquest in 1086. 6 In fact, Aldred was a famous ecclesiastic, who was Bishop of York from 1044-1060, and Archbishop of York from 1060-1069, and it was he who crowned the Conqueror.

"Edred or Eadred (died 955) was an ancient Saxon king of the English, youngest son of Eadward the elder and Eadgifu, and was chosen in 946 to succeed his brother Eadmund. At his coronation he received the submission of the Northumbrians, the Northmen, the Welsh, and the Scots. " 7

Aldred the Glossator (10th cent.) was the "writer of the glosses in the Northumbrian dialect which are inserted in the Latin manuscript of the Gospels, known as the 'Lindisfarne Gospels,' or 'Durham Book,' and written about the year 700 in honour of St. Cuthberht. " 7 Aldred (d. 1069), was an early English divine, Archbishop of York who first appears as a monk of Winchester. 7

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. Freqently found in early rolls in Latin, as a forename or in the singular from, we found Aldret de Windegate c. 1145-1165 in Northumberland, Eldredus in 1161-1177 in Herefordshire, Golding Aldred c. 1224 in Clerkenwell, Isle of Man, and William Aldret in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275. Eilredus de Mannest was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Kent in 1198, William Eyldred in the Assize Rolls for Kent in 1317, and Maud Aildred was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Essex in 1327. 5

The Excerpta e Rotulis Finium in Turri Londinensi (London) listed Aldred filius Roger and the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Aldred Ander in Cambridgeshire. 8 In Somerset, we found two early records: Nicholas Alrede and William Aired, both listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 9

Early History of the Eldred family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eldred research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1198, 1200, 1552, 1561, 1563, 1586, 1588, 1624, 1632, 1646 and 1653 are included under the topic Early Eldred History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eldred 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 Eldred include Aldred, Aldreth, Aldret and others.

Early Notables of the Eldred family

Notables of the family at this time include

John Eldred (1552-1632), an English traveler and merchant. Born in New Buckenham, Norfolk, after his parents moved from Suffolk, he traveled to Tripoli and returned home with a ship full of goods that...
William Eldred (c.1563-1646), was an English gunner, the master gunner of Dover Castle and author of "The Gunner's Glasse, wherein the diligent Practitioner may see his defects, and may from point to...

Eldred Ranking

In the United States, the name Eldred is the 5,879^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 10

Eldred 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 Eldred or a variant listed above:

Eldred Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Eldred, who settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1630

Eldred Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Chas. Eldred, aged 44, who settled in America, in 1895

Eldred Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfred Eldred, aged 37, who landed in America from England, in 1902
Albert Eldred, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States from Croydon, in 1905
Arthur Eldred, aged 24, who settled in America from London, England, in 1908
Byron E. Eldred, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
Blanche Eldred, aged 30, who landed in America from London, England, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Eldred migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Eldred Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Peter Eldred U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Port Matoon Association 11

Eldred migration to Australia +

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

Eldred Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Rebecca Eldred, English Convict who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Edward Eldred, English convict from Stafford, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on August 08, 1849, settling in Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia 13

Eldred 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:

Eldred Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George Eldred, (b. 1852), aged 22, English carpenter from Hertfordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 14
Mrs. Sarah A Eldred, (b. 1849), aged 25, English settler from Hertfordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 14
Miss Annie Eldred, (b. 1873), aged 10 months, English settler from Hertfordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 14

Eldred migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15

Eldred Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Nathaniel Eldred with his wife and servants settled in Barbados in 1680

Contemporary Notables of the name Eldred (post 1700) +

Arthur Rose Eldred (1895-1951), American agricultural and railroad industry executive, first Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America
Pamela Anne Eldred (b. 1948), American model, Miss Michigan 1969 and Miss America 1970
Andrew J. Eldred, American master of the sealing vessel Thomas Hunt who searched for Charles Shearer, eponym of the Eldred Glacier, South Shetland Islands
Dale Eldred (1933-1993), American sculptor
Bradley "Brad" Ross Eldred (b. 1980), American Major League Baseball first baseman
Calvin "Cal" John Eldred (b. 1967), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
Foss O. Eldred (1884-1956), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State Senate 18th District, 1921-24; Mayor of Ionia, Michigan; Elected 1935; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1940 16
Elon A. Eldred, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1912 16
Caleb Eldred, American politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Kalamazoo County, 1837 16
Caleb Eldred, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Otsego County, 1818-19, 1820-21 16
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Eldred family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Eric C Eldred (b. 1921), English Stoker 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from St. Pancras, London, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia in 1849 with 303 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1849
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm