Elvin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Elvin was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. Elvin is based on the Old English personal names Alfwin, and Elwin, as well a collection of other names containing the elements oelf, which means elf, and wine, which means friend.

Etherlwine, Aethelwine or Ailwin (died 922), was a Saxon ealdorman (royal official) of East Anglia, fourth and youngest son of the ealdorman Aethelstan, called the Half-king. 1

Early Origins of the Elvin family

The surname Elvin was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Alwinetone, later called Alwington. In the Domesday Book Survey of 1086 A.D. this village containing 120 sheep and houses was held by Hamelin from the Count of Mortain, from which the Alwins are conjecturally descended.

One of the first records of the family was Henry Fitz Ailwyn, Lord Mayor of London (1189-1211.)

Early History of the Elvin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elvin research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1175, 1499 and 1564 are included under the topic Early Elvin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elvin 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 Alwin, Alwyn, Elwyn, Elwyn, Elvin, Elvins, Elvyn, Alvin, Allwin, Allwyn, Ellwyn, Ellwin and many more.

Early Notables of the Elvin family

More information is included under the topic Early Elvin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elvin 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 Elvin or a variant listed above:

Elvin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert John Elvin, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1835 2

Elvin migration to Australia +

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

Elvin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Elvin, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Elvin (post 1700) +

John Mark Dutton Elvin (1938-2023), Australian professor emeritus of Chinese history at Australian National University, emeritus fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford
Herbert Lionel Elvin, Director of the University of London Institute of Education
Violetta Elvin (1924-2021), Russian prima ballerina and actress
John Elvin Shaffner (1911-2001), Canadian businessman and politician from Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia, 26th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (1978-1984)
Clarence Elvin Feltner Jr, (1929-2013), American film producer, television broadcaster and telecommunications entrepreneur, known for his work on Carnival Magic (1981)
Major General Sir Hubert Elvin Rance GCMG GBE CB (1898-1974), British diplomat, the last British Governor of Burma (Myanmar) between 1946 and 1948
Brigadier-General Stewart Elvin Reimel (1892-1985), American Commanding General New York Ordnance District in 1946 4
J. Elvin Hagey, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1908 5
Elvin A. "Al" Papik (1926-2022), American 26th head football coach at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, for 16 seasons, from 1955 until 1970
Elvin Columbus McCary (1907-1981), American businessman and politician

Citations +

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Stewart Reimel. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Reimel/Stewart_Elvin/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html