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Elton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Elton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Elton is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the village of Elton, which was in the county of Cheshire.

Early Origins of the Elton family

The surname Elton was first found in Cheshire, at Elton, a village and civil parish which dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Eltone. 1

There are at least five other villages named Elton scattered throughout Britain but this locale seems to be the oldest. The name has various different origins, but the most prominent meaning is "farmstead where eels are caught." Others include: "farmstead of the princes;" "farmstead of a man called Ella;" and "farmstead associated with a man called AEthel."

The Helston variant hails from the town so named in Cornwall. "The origin of Helston town is equally as uncertain. Mr. Polwhele intimates, that Helston was not unknown as a town so early as the landing of Cesar upon the British shores. 'Helles-ton or Hellas-ton,' says Hals, 'hath upon the north and east Gwendron, west, Sithney and the Loe Pool, south, Mawgan and Gunwallo. As for the first name it signifies a broad hall or college town ; or a town which had a large hall, a palace, court, or manor." 2

Early History of the Elton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elton research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1618, 1649, 1650, 1654, 1679, 1710, 1711, 1719, 1720, 1722, 1724, 1727, 1728 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Elton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elton Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Elton has been spelled many different ways, including Elton, Eltone, Helton, Ellton and others.

Early Notables of the Elton family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Ambrose Elton, JP, of The Hazle, Ledbury, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1618; Sir Abraham Elton, 1st Baronet of Bristol (1654-1728), English peer, Mayor of and Member of Parliament for Bristol from...
Richard Elton (fl. 1650), was an English military writer and a native of Bristol. He joined the militia of the city of London, and in 1649 had risen to the rank of major. In 1654 he was deputy-governo...

Elton Ranking

In the United States, the name Elton is the 11,391^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Elton migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Eltons to arrive in North America:

Elton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Elton, who landed in Maryland in 1638 4
Ed Elton, who settled in Virginia in 1653
John Elton, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 4
Anthony Elton, who settled in West New Jersey in 1664
John Elton, who landed in Virginia in 1665 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Elton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Elton, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1771

Elton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miles Elton, aged 22, who landed in Maryland in 1813 4

Elton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Elton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Luther Elisha Hall Elton, who arrived in Canada in 1841

Elton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Elton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Elton, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. William Elton, Jr., English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. Thomas Elton, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Henry Elton, who arrived in Port Phillip aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1849 8

Elton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Elton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Elton, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. William Elton, (b. 1822), aged 37, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th August 1859 9
Mrs. Ann Elton, (b. 1823), aged 36, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th August 1859 9
Miss Mary Elton, (b. 1857), aged 2, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th August 1859 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Elton (post 1700) +

Sir Edmund Harry Elton (1846-1920), 8th Baronet of Bristol, English peer, English inventor and studio potter, best known for his production of Elton Ware at the Clevedon Elton Sunflower Pottery
Sir Charles Abraham Elton (1778-1853), 6th Baronet of Bristol, English peer, English officer in the British Army and an author
Sir Arthur Hallam Rice Elton (1906-1973), 10th Baronet of Bristol, English peer, English peer
Geoffrey Rudolph Elton (1921-1994), English historian
Charles Isaac Elton (1839-1900), English lawyer and antiquary
Charles Sutherland Elton (1900-1991), English zoologist and animal ecologist awarded the Darwin Medal in 1970
Ben Elton (b. 1959), English comedian, author, playwright and television director
Oliver Elton (1861-1945), English literary historian
Rodney Elton (1930-2023), 2nd Baron Elton, a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords, Minister of State for Environment (1985-1986)
Sir Charles Abraham Grierson Elton (b. 1953), 11th Baronet of Bristol, English peer
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Elton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Artibus et armis
Motto Translation: By arts and arms.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) "MADAWASKA" 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Madawaska.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html