Elliker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Elliker family

The surname Elliker was first found in Yorkshire in the East Riding at Ellerker, a village and civil parish that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Alrecher and literally meant "marsh where alders grow" from the Old Scandinavian words elri + kjarr. 1

At the time of the Domesday Book, the village was quite small with about 5 households holding about 39 villagers. The land was held at that time by Earl Morcar who was tenant in chief of the Bishop of Durham St Cuthbert. 2

The first record of the family found in ancient rolls was that of Denis de Elreker, who was listed in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1204. 3 John de Ellerker, taillour was a Freemen of York, 8 Edward III (during the eighth year of King Edward III's reign.) 4

Early History of the Elliker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elliker research. Another 217 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1512, 1522, 1527, 1529, 1540, 1546, 1593, 1670, 1678 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Elliker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elliker Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Ellerker, Elerker, Ellerkar, Ellarker, Elarker, Ellercker, Elercker, Ellicker, Elicker, Ellickar, Elliker, Hellerker, Helliker, Elliker and many more.

Early Notables of the Elliker family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Ellerker, Sheriff of Northumberland; Sir Ralph Ellerker of Risby, Yorkshire; and his eldest son, Sir Ralph Ellerker (died 1546), an English soldier, knight and politician, High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1529. "Both father and son were knighted by the Earl of Surrey at Flodden Field. The elder Ellerker took part in the useless Spanish expedition in 1512, was an esquire...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elliker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elliker migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Elliker or a variant listed above:

Elliker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Kaspar Elliker, who arrived in America sometime between 1739 and 1744
Anna Elliker, who settled in Carolina in 1743
Violand Elliker, who settled in Carolina in 1743
Lisabeth Elliker, who arrived in Carolina in 1743
Caspar Elliker, who arrived in Carolina in 1743 5

Citations +

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)