Elder Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Elder last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Elder last name
Meaning of the Elder last name: the elder. Elder is a Scottish and English surname for the older of two people with the same first name, from Old English eldra, "older", or for someone who lived by an elder tree. The last name is strongest in Perthshire, and Scots took it abroad. Curiously, the surname Young grew from the same habit.
Arms associated with the Elder name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Elder name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Elder family history
This is only a glimpse of the Elder story. The full Elder history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Elder coat of arms. Get the full Elder report.
Elder name FAQ
What does the Elder name mean?
The elder.
Where does the Elder surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, England and Canada.
Is there a Elder coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Elder coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).