The ancient history of the Elstob name begins with the ancient
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in
Nottinghamshire or
Wiltshire. The name could also be classified as a baptismal name as in
the son of Elstan and an earlier
personal name Dunstan.Early Origins of the Elstob family
The surname Elstob was first found in
Nottinghamshire at Elston, a small village that lies between the rivers Trent and
Devon and dates back to at least the
Domesday Book where it was listed as Elvestune, Eluestune and Eluestune
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) and probably meant "farmstead of a man called Eilafr" from an Old Scandinavian
personal name + tun.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) The less likely
local that the name could have been derived from is Elston in
Wiltshire, a hamlet in the parish of St. George which was also listed in the
Domesday Book, but as Wintreburne.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Early History of the Elstob family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elstob research.
Another 117 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elstob History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Elstob Spelling Variations
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently,
Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. Changes in
Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Elstob include Elston, Elstone, Elliston, Elsden, Elsdon, Elson and others.
Early Notables of the Elstob family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Elstob Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Elstob family to the New World and Oceana
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Elstob or a variant listed above: John Elston who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630; John and Sarah Elston settled in Belfast, Maine in 1820.