Ellwen History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of EllwenWhat does the name Ellwen mean? Today's generation of the Ellwen family bears a name that was brought to England by the wave of emigration that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old English personal names Alfwin, and Elwin, as well a collection of other names containing the elements oelf, which means elf, and wine, which means friend. Etherlwine, Aethelwine or Ailwin (died 922), was a Saxon ealdorman (royal official) of East Anglia, fourth and youngest son of the ealdorman Aethelstan, called the Half-king. 1 Early Origins of the Ellwen familyThe surname Ellwen was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Alwinetone, later called Alwington. In the Domesday Book Survey of 1086 A.D. this village containing 120 sheep and houses was held by Hamelin from the Count of Mortain, from which the Alwins are conjecturally descended. One of the first records of the family was Henry Fitz Ailwyn, Lord Mayor of London (1189-1211.) Early History of the Ellwen familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ellwen research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1175, 1499 and 1564 are included under the topic Early Ellwen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ellwen Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ellwen have been found, including Alwin, Alwyn, Elwyn, Elwyn, Elvin, Elvins, Elvyn, Alvin, Allwin, Allwyn, Ellwyn, Ellwin and many more. Early Notables of the Ellwen familyMore information is included under the topic Early Ellwen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Ellwen familyFor many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Ellwen were among those contributors: John Alvin who landed in America in 1698; Jacob Alwin landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1741; William Elvyn landed in St. Christopher in 1635; John and William Elvins landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1853 and 1857.
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