Show ContentsEloffe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Eloffe reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Eloffe family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Eloffe is based on from the Old Norse, Eili­fr and was listed in the Domesday Book as Ailof and Eilaf, a personal name. 1

Early Origins of the Eloffe family

The surname Eloffe was first found in Northumberland where the first record of the family is of Eilaf filius Gospatric who was listed there in 1166. We presume the Ailef of Palestu (Palestine) was a returning Norman knight from the Holy Land about 1200. He, or his successors, later held estates in that shire in 1176. 2

The Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs of London, 1188-1274 listed Arnaed Fitz-Aluf, as Sheriff of London in 1108.

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had only one listing for the family: Robertus Haylyf and later the History of Norfolk listed Thomas Ayloffe, Essex, c. 1500. 3

Early History of the Eloffe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eloffe research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1534, 1563, 1585, 1592, 1600, 1618, 1621, 1622, 1627, 1631, 1661, 1662, 1675, 1676, 1685, 1722 and 1732 are included under the topic Early Eloffe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eloffe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Eloffe are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Eloffe include Ayloffe, Ayloff, Ayliffe, Ayliff and others.

Early Notables of the Eloffe family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Ayloffe (died 1585), an English judge of the Queen's Bench; Sir William Ayloffe, 1st Baronet (1563-1627), English Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Stockbridge from 1621 to 1622, from Braxtead Magna, Essex; Sir Benjamin Ayloffe, 2nd Baronet (1592-1662), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1662, he supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War; Sir William Ayloffe, 3rd Baronet (1618-1675), an English officer...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eloffe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eloffe family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Eloffe, or a variant listed above: Edward Ayliffe, aged 38, who arrived at Ellis Island, in 1922; Frank Ayliffe, aged 37, who arrived at Ellis Island from London, England, in 1909; Harry Ayliffe, aged 28, who arrived at Ellis Island from London, in 1907.



  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print


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