Map of England showing where the Elkington arms are recorded
The Elkington arms were recorded in Northampton, c. 1619.
Northamptonshire was grazing and hunting country in the middle of England, thick with manor houses. Its families were numerous and long-settled, and a settled landed family almost always ended up with arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Elkington arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Northampton.
Origin & History of the Elkington Family in England
The surname Elkington is a locative name, meaning it originated from a specific place rather than a trade or a personal characteristic. The name is derived from the village of Elkington in Northamptonshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Eltetone." During the medieval period, it was common for people who moved away from their home village to be identified by their place of origin, eventually turning the location name into a permanent family surname. By 1619, records confirm that members of the Elkington family were well-established residents of Northampton. These early ancestors were likely part of the growing merchant or landholding classes that helped shape the local economy of the region during the early seventeenth century. As the family grew, they spread from these original roots in the English Midlands, carrying the name across the country and eventually overseas.
Elkington Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Elking
The family or followers of a man named Elca.
This name
ElkingtonA settlement or farmstead belonging to the kin of Elca.
also spelled
Elkinton
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Ekwall, Eilert, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, 1960
Mills, A.D., A Dictionary of English Place-Names, 2011
The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11
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