| ![Show Contents]() Elger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Elger originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from a group of baptismal surnames which all mean the son of Eggar or the son of Agar. "Probably a form of Algar, a Domesday personal name, and very popular for several centuries." 1 "Aighear signifies gladness, joy, gayety. If from the Latin ager, it denotes a field or land." 2 In Scotland, "Aeggar was king of the Scots a. 1189." 3 Early Origins of the Elger familyThe surname Elger was first found in the counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland, where they held a family seat from ancient times. "The Agars, an old York family of the 17th and 18th centuries, gained considerable estate by trade and founded a hospital in that city. Thomas Agar, tanner, was lord mayor of York in 1618, and the same office was filled by Thomas Agar, woollen draper, in 1724. Agar is still a York name." 4 Early History of the Elger familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elger research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1672, 1703, 1713, 1714, 1715, 1727, 1733 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Elger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Elger Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Elger has appeared include Agar, Algar, Alger, Algore, Augar, Auger, Elger, Elgar, Eager, Eagar, Etches, Eaches and many more. Early Notables of the Elger familyNotables of this surname at this time include: John Eager, born 1782 at Norwich, where his father was a musical instrument maker and organ builder. Having learned from his father the rudiments of music, he was at twelve years old taken under the care of the Duke of Dorset, an amateur violinist, who carried him to his seat at Knole, where free access to the library enabled him to repair the defects of his early education. His patron...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Elger family to Ireland
Some of the Elger family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Elger migration to the United States | + |
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Elger arrived in North America very early:
Elger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Wenzel Elger, aged 36, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1867 5
| Elger migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Elger Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- John Elger, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
| Contemporary Notables of the name Elger (post 1700) | + |
- Thomas Gwyn Empy Elger (1836-1897), lunar mapper and the first director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association (BAA), eponym of the lunar crater Elger
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Spectemur agendo
Motto Translation: Let us be judged by our actions.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- 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)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Elger migration to the United States 
Elger migration to Canada 
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland
