Eltz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Eltz

What does the name Eltz mean?

The ancient and distinguished German surname Eltz is derived from "Elze," "Eltz," or "Elz," all names of towns located in Northern Germany. It was a common practice at the time to refer to a new resident of a city by the name of his hometown; thus, it is likely that the progenitor of the name Eltz was a native of one of these cities who had settled in another region.

Early Origins of the Eltz family

The surname Eltz was first found in Lower Saxony, along the banks of the Leine River, where the ancestral home of the family is thought to be located. The earliest known bearer of the name was Ludeke Elze, who was a counselor of Brunswick in 1399. The young Eltz family was instrumental during this early period, playing a major role in the history of the region and contributing greatly to the development of medieval German society.

Early History of the Eltz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eltz research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1399, 1510, 1518, 1581, 1634, 1673, 1795, 1821, 1879 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Eltz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eltz Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Elze, Eltz, Elz, Ellzey, Elzy, Elzey and others.

Early Notables of the Eltz family

Jakob von Eltz III (1510-1581), an archbishop and elector from the Rhineland
Fr. Casimir zu Eltz (1634-1673), a diplomat from Hanover
Eduard Philipp von Eltz (1795-1879), a forestry engineer

Migration of the Eltz family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Ludwig Eltz, who emigrated from the Rhineland to America in 1729; Johan Peter Eltz, who immigrated to Philadelphia in 1753; Ernst Elze, a Brunswicker mercenary who settled in America after fighting in the Revolutionary War.

Contemporary Notables of the name Eltz (post 1700) +

Theodore von Eltz (1893-1964), American film actor
George Jacob Eltz (b. 1893), electrical engineer from Brooklyn