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Eller History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Eller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Eller is a local name from the German region of Westphalia. Local names came to Germany with other types of hereditary surnames after the 12th century. They were derived from the name of the place where the original bearer of the name lived. Sometimes local names bear the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from". It was an indication of land-ownership, and was sometimes taken as a mark of aristocracy. The family originally lived by an alder tree. Ancient records reveal the name Eller is derived from the Old German word elre or alre, which means alder. There are also numerous places named Eller in the northern German states, such as the Rhine and Moselle areas, which adopted the name of an old stream called the Ellera. Thus, the name Eller is both a topographic surname, a type of local surname that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree, and a habitation name, a type of local name that was originally derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Eller family

The surname Eller was first found in Westphalia, where the family emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Eller family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eller research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1354, 1424, 1680, 1690 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Eller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eller Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Eller include Eller, Ellers, Eler, Aller, Aler, Ellern, Ellere, Elera, Ellera, Ellerer and many more.

Early Notables of the Eller family

Notables of the period with the name Eller were

Wolf Ernst von Eller (d. 1680), who was the Governor of Minden and Sparenberg, a military general, and Privy Councillor for defense to the prince of Brandenburg
John Philip Ellers (fl. 1690-1730), German potter, the son of Martin Elers, and grandson of Admiral Elers, Commander of the Fleet at Hamburg, who was a member of a noble Saxon family. 1

Eller Ranking

In the United States, the name Eller is the 2,376^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 2

Eller migration to the United States +

After 1650, thousands of German settlers came to North America to escape the religious persecution and poverty that wracked Europe and to make the most of the opportunity to own their own land in a new country. They settled across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, and in Canada in Ontario and on the fertile plains of the prairie provinces. Among them:

Eller Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sam Eller, who landed in Virginia in 1663 3
Enoch Eller, who landed in Maryland in 1668 3

Eller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Henrig Eller, who landed in New York in 1709 3
Mary Eller, who arrived in Carolina in 1724 3
Johan Georg Eller, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1740 3
Michael Eller, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 3
Henry Eller, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1746 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Eller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Martin Eller, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 3
Johann Eller, who landed in New York in 1841 3
Johannes Eller, who arrived in New York in 1841 3
Peter Eller, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
Joh Georg Eller, who landed in America in 1857 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Eller migration to Australia +

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

Eller Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Catherine Eller, aged 16, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Elgin" 4
Catherine Eller, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Elgin" in 1849 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Eller (post 1700) +

Karl Eller (1928-2019), American businessman and entrepreneur, inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame by the American Advertising Federation in 2004
Allen Eller (1976-2016), American soccer player
Ernest McNeill Eller (1903-1992), Rear Admiral in the United States Navy
Vernard Marion Eller (1927-2007), American author, Christian pacifist and minister
Curtis Eller, American banjo player, yodeler and songwriter
Walton "Glenn" Eller (b. 1982), American trap shooter and three-time U.S. Olympic athlete
Karl Eller, Arizona business leader and nationally recognized entrepreneur
Horace Owen Eller (1894-1961), American pitcher in Major League Baseball
Carl Eller (b. 1942), American retired NFL football player who played from 1964 through 1979, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004
James Edgar Eller (b. 1931), American lumber company executive, general manager of the Cortrim Hardwood Parts Co. in Tennessee since 1961
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Eller Motto +

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: Gloria virtutis umbra
Motto Translation: Glory is the shadow of virtue.

Citations +

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/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ELGIN 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Elgin.htm