Show ContentsEllice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Ellice

What does the name Ellice mean?

It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Ellice was formed. The name was derived from the baptismal name for the son of Ellis. which "has for the most part been formed from the scripture name Elias, which does not occur as an Anglo-Saxon name, but which was in use in France as early as the days of Charlemagne, as a baptismal designation, and after wards gave to several families." 1

Early Origins of the Ellice family

The surname Ellice was first found in Yorkshire where the first record of the name was "William Alis, mentioned in the Domesday Book as the progenitor of the Ellises of Kiddal, county York, and Stoneacre, county Kent, from whom sprang Sir Archibald Ellys, a crusader who is said to have originated the cross and crescents so common to the Ellis coat-armour." 1

Continuing the search through early records, we found Willelmus filius Helis listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Somerset in 1212, William Elyas in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1200, William Elis in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1202 and Andrew Elice in the Subsidy Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1309. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had numerous entries including: Henry filius Elis in Cambridgeshire; Agnes uxor Elys in Cambridgeshire; Simon filius Elys in Bedfordshire; Nicholas filius Elye in Cambridgeshire and Roger filius Elye in Shropshire. 3

Early History of the Ellice family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ellice research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1282, 1460, 1474, 1550, 1561, 1581, 1598, 1609, 1615, 1616, 1625, 1634, 1640, 1650, 1651, 1653, 1654, 1660, 1665, 1673, 1676, 1680, 1688, 1690, 1693, 1700, 1701, 1703, 1716, 1721, 1731, 1734, 1742, 1757, 1761, 1774, 1806, 1820, 1826, 1832, 1861, 1890 and 1939 are included under the topic Early Ellice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellice Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Ellice include Ellis, Elliss, Ellys, Elis, Eliss, Elliason and many more.

Early Notables of the Ellice family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Ellis, Mayor of Norwich from 1460 to 1474; Sir Francis Ellis, an administrator of the English East India Company, and President of Bengal in 1693; John Ellis (1598-1665), a Welsh Anglican clergyman and religious writer, born at Gwylan, Maentwrog, Merionethshire; Humphrey Ellis, D.D. (d. 1676), English Catholic divine; Sir William Ellis (1609-1680), an English lawyer, judge...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ellice Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ellice family to Ireland

Some of the Ellice family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 172 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Ellice migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Ellice were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Ellice Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Elianor Ellice, who arrived in Virginia in 1639 4
  • Mary Ellice, who landed in Virginia in 1655 4
Ellice Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Alexander Ellice, who arrived in New York in 1792 4
Ellice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edward Ellice, who arrived in New York in 1817 4
  • Daniel Ellice, who landed in New York in 1822 4

Ellice 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:

Ellice Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • M. Ellice, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1858 5
  • Captain Captain Ellice, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Ramsey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th June 1870 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Ellice (post 1700) +

  • Edward Ellice the Younger (1810-1880), English politician, only son of the Right Hon. Edward Ellice
  • Edward Ellice the Elder (1781-1863), Scottish politician, of an English family which settled in Aberdeenshire about the middle of the seventeenth century


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. 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)
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook