Elman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought many new words to England from which surnames were formed. Elman was one of these new Norman names. It was specifically tailored to its first bearer, who was a person or family of German heritage. Further research showed the name was derived from the Anglo-Norman-French word aleman, which means German. 1

Early Origins of the Elman family

The surname Elman was first found in Allemagne, 2 now known as Fleury-sur-Orne, near Caen in Normandy. There is no clear record of the family arriving in Britain but their voyage is of no doubt.

Some of the first records of the name include listings in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Terric le Alemaund in Buckinghamshire; Henry de Alemania in Nottinghamshire; Bertram de Almannia in Lincolnshire and Robert Almene in Cambridgeshire. 3 John le Alemaund was listed in London in 1284. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Willelmus Alman. 3

Early History of the Elman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elman research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1304, 1407, 1440, 1602, 1605, 1613, 1624, 1627, 1634, 1635, 1665, 1672, 1673, 1686, 1687, 1800 and 1885 are included under the topic Early Elman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elman Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Almayne, Alman, Allman, Almand, Hallman, Allmaine, Almon, Almand, Altman, Allman, Ellman, Dalman and many more.

Early Notables of the Elman family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Elmham (d. 1440?), English historian, Benedictine monk of St. Augustine's, Canterbury, probably a native of North Elmham in Norfolk. He was treasurer of his society in 1407, in which year he was arrested at the suit of one Henry Somerset for excessive seal in the discharge of his duties. His action seems, however, to have been subsequently affirmed. 5Dallam (spelt also Dalham, Dallum, and Dallans), the name of a family of English organ-builders in the 17th century. The eldest was employed in 1605-6 to build an organ for King's College, Cambridge, for...
Another 418 words (30 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Elman family to Ireland

Some of the Elman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elman migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Elman or a variant listed above:

Elman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

S Elman, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1858 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Elman (post 1700) +

Richard Elman (1934-1997), American novelist, poet, journalist, and teacher
Benjamin David "Jamie" Elman (b. 1976), American-born, Canadian raised actor, best known for his leading roles on Student Bodies and American Dreams
Benjamin A. Elman (b. 1946), American Gordon Wu '58 Professor of Chinese Studies, Princeton University
Ziggy Elman (1914-1968), stage name of Harry Aaron Finkelman, an American jazz trumpeter most associated with Benny Goodman
Dave Elman (1900-1967), born David Kopelman, American radio host, author and showman, primarily known for his book on hypnosis and as host of a popular radio show known as Hobby Lobby
Jeffrey Locke Elman (b. 1948), American psycholinguist, Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego
Mischa Elman (1891-1967), Ukraine-born, American Jewish violinist known for his passionate style and beautiful tone
Almaas Elman (d. 2019), Somali-Canadian humanitarian aid worker
Elman Rogers Service (1915-1996), American cultural anthropologist

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)