Elledge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Elledge is an Anglo-Saxon name. The name was originally given to a the Old English personal name Aldrich, meaning old ruler, and refers to "a son of Aldrich." 1

Another source has a different approach to the origin of the name. "These surnames may be local in origin, but usually derive from Old English Ælfric 'elf-ruler' or Æðelric 'noble ruler'. Both survived the Conquest, by which time the first element had often been reduced to Al- or El- and consequently cannot be distinguished. A common post-Conquest form of Æðelric was Ailric or Eilric." 2

Early Origins of the Elledge family

The surname Elledge was first found in the counties of Sussex, Suffolk, and Surrey, where the Elledge family held a family seat from very early times. The family had the Saxon spellings of Alderich, Ealdric, or possibly Aelfric before the Conquest. The Alderwick variant may have originated in West Sussex, near to Bognor Regis, in Aldwick.

Aldridge is a town in Staffordshire (now the West Midlands) that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Alrewic and literally means "dwelling or farm among alders" having derived from the Old English word alor + wic. 3

The parish was originally in the union of Walsall, in the hundred of Offlow, comprised 7,752 acres and was anciently held by Robert, a tenant of William fitzAnsculf and was worth 15 shillings. 4 In Somerset, William Ailrich was listed there, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) 5

In London, the Calendarium Rotulorum Patentium in Turri Londinensi (1201-1483) lists John filius Aldrech. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include John Aldrich in Cambridgeshire and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include a listing for Robertus Aldrech. 1 John Aldryche was Bailiff of Yarmouth in 1469. 6

Early History of the Elledge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elledge research. Another 34 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1507, 1511, 1515, 1566, 1647, 1681, 1687, 1688, 1689 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Elledge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elledge Spelling Variations

One 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 Elledge has appeared include Aldridge, Aldrich, Alderich, Alderidge, Eldrich, Elderidge, Elderich and many more.

Early Notables of the Elledge family

Distinguished members of the family include Henry Aldrich (1647-1710), an English theologian, philosopher and architect who designed All Saints Church, Oxford. "In February 1681, he became canon of Christ Church, and in the following March B.D. and D.D. In 1687 and 1688 he wrote two tracts against Obadiah Walker in defence of Anglican principles; and upon the flight of Massey, the Roman Catholic dean of Christ Church under James II, the vacant deanery was bestowed upon Aldrich. He was installed 17 June 1689, and held the office with much distinction for the rest of his life. " 7Robert Aldrich or Aldridge...
Another 151 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elledge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elledge Ranking

In the United States, the name Elledge is the 7,034^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Elledge family to Ireland

Some of the Elledge family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elledge 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 Elledge arrived in North America very early:

Elledge Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles Elledge, aged 45, who settled in America, in 1908
Selma Elledge, aged 30, who immigrated to America, in 1908
Geo. H. Elledge, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
Cecil A. Elledge, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States, in 1921
Margaret N. Elledge, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name Elledge (post 1700) +

Stephen J. Elledge Ph.D., American Professor of Genetics at the Harvard Medical School, awarded the NAS Award in Molecular Biology (2002), Genetics Society of America Medal (2005), Dickson Prize (2010) and the Gairdner Foundation International Award (2013)
Jimmy Elledge (1943-2012), American country musician, best known for his hit "Funny How Time Slips Away" which sold over one million copies
M. L. Elledge, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1932 9
Mrs. Fred Elledge Jr., American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 1960 9
Fred Elledge Jr., American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, 1953-61 9
Jacqueline Lucienne Marie-Louise Marguerite Elledge (b. 1937), English former cricketer who played three test matches for the England women's cricket team in 1963

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
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.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html