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Elton Family History

Elton Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of several places called Elton (Berkshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Durham, Herefordshire, Huntingdonshire, Lancashire, and Nottinghamshire). The Eltons in Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Durham are from Old English ǣl ‘eel’ + tūn ‘farmstead, settlement’. Elton in Berkshire is from the Old English female personal name Æthelflǣd (composed of the elements æthel ‘noble’ + flǣd ‘beauty’).

Both Elton in Herefordshire and in Nottinghamshire are from the Old English personal name Ella + tūn. The Berkshire origin for the surname is especially well represented.

Norwegian: habitational name from a farm name in eastern Norway in Old Norse Elgjartún ‘enclosed sacred place’ (or fenced in for elg ‘moose’?).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Elton family from?

You can see how Elton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Elton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Elton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 31 Elton families living in Ontario. This was about 41% of all the recorded Elton's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Elton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Elton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Elton ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Operator were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Elton. 60% of Elton men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Elton women worked as an Operator.

View Census Data for Elton | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    60%
  • Labourer
    14%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • Farmers Son
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Operator
    100%

What Elton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 45,000 census records available for the last name Elton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Elton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Elton

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Elton. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Elton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Elton. For the veterans among your Elton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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