Show ContentsElercker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Elercker family

The surname Elercker was first found in Yorkshire in the East Riding at Ellerker, a village and civil parish that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Alrecher and literally meant "marsh where alders grow" from the Old Scandinavian words elri + kjarr. 1

At the time of the Domesday Book, the village was quite small with about 5 households holding about 39 villagers. The land was held at that time by Earl Morcar who was tenant in chief of the Bishop of Durham St Cuthbert. 2

Early History of the Elercker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elercker research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1512, 1522, 1527, 1529, 1540 and 1546 are included under the topic Early Elercker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elercker Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Ellerker, Elerker, Ellerkar, Ellarker, Elarker, Ellercker, Elercker, Ellicker, Elicker, Ellickar, Elliker, Hellerker, Helliker, Elliker and many more.

Early Notables of the Elercker family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Ellerker, Sheriff of Northumberland; Sir Ralph Ellerker of Risby, Yorkshire; and his eldest son, Sir Ralph Ellerker (died 1546), an English soldier, knight and politician, High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1529. "Both father and son were knighted by the Earl of Surrey at Flodden Field. The elder Ellerker took part in the useless Spanish expedition in 1512, was an esquire...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elercker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Elercker family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Elercker or a variant listed above were: Kaspar Elliker, who arrived in America sometime between 1739 and 1744; Anna Elliker, who settled in Carolina in 1743; Caspar Elliker, who came to Carolina in 1743.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)


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