Show ContentsEllett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Pictish clans of ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Ellett. It comes from in Liddesdale and Teviotdale where the family has a long and distinguished history dating back to the early Middle Ages. The name is actually derived from the Old English personal name Elwald or Aelfwald, but this name is now all but extinct as a personal name.

"A William Aliot came into England with the Conqueror, and the name seems to be connected with Alis and Ellis." 1

Early Origins of the Ellett family

The surname Ellett was first found in Liddesdale, and Teviotdale. Although originally from Elliott, a village near Forfar, this Clan was persuaded by the Douglases to move south to help defend the border in 1396. There they became one of the most influential clans. Some of the notable personalities were "Archie Fire the Braes," "Hob of the Park," "Little Jock of the Park," "Jock Half Lugs," "Jock A'God's Name," "Gibbe Wi' the Gowden Gartens."

Early History of the Ellett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ellett research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1490, 1499, 1522, 1546, 1565, 1592, 1604, 1612, 1632, 1636, 1640, 1665, 1668, 1670, 1685, 1690, 1700, 1714, 1726, 1784, 1789, 1797, 1890 and 1898 are included under the topic Early Ellett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellett Spelling Variations

Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Ellett has appeared Elliott, Elliot, Eliot, Eliott, Ellegett, Ellegot, Ellecot, Ellacott, Ellacot, Ellgate, Ellett, Ellit and many more.

Early Notables of the Ellett family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir John Eliot (1592-1632), an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament; George Elliott (ca. 1636-1668), English surgeon to the Earl of Teviot's Regiment; John Eliot (c. 1604-1690), English Puritan missionary to the American Indians from Widford, Hertfordshire; John Eliot...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ellett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellett Ranking

In the United States, the name Ellett is the 12,849th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Ellett family to Ireland

Some of the Ellett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Ellett migration to the United States +

Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Ellett name:

Ellett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Abra Ellett, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 3
  • Eliz Ellett, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 3
  • Rebecca Ellett, who landed in Maryland in 1670 3
  • Ann Ellett, who landed in Maryland in 1676 3
  • Susanna Ellett, who landed in Maryland in 1676 3
Ellett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Ellett, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 3
  • Richard Ellett, who arrived in Virginia in 1712 3
  • Gilbert Ellett, who landed in Virginia in 1712 3
  • Lewis Ellett who settled in Virginia in 1721

Ellett migration to Australia +

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

Ellett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Ellett, English convict from Devon, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 4
  • Mr. Thomas Ellett, British Convict who was convicted in Huntingdon, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Ellett 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:

Ellett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • M. Ellett, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 6
  • George Ellett, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Ellett (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Harlan Ellett (1880-1951), American architect in New York City who won the Architectural League of New York's Silver Medal for his Johnson Residence in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1928
  • Tazewell Ellett (1856-1914), American politician, U.S. Representative from Virginia (1895-1897)
  • Henry T. Ellett (1812-1887), American politician, U.S. Representative to Congress for Mississippi in 1847
  • David George John "Dave" Ellett (b. 1964), American-born, Canadian professional NHL ice hockey player who played from 1984 to 2000
  • Neil Ellett (b. 1944), Canadian Olympic soccer player
  • John Ellett Herrnstein (1938-2017), American baseball and football player; he played Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1966


The Ellett 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: Fortiter et recte
Motto Translation: Rightly and Boldly


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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