Elphinstone Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Elphinstone last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Elphinstone last name
Meaning of the Elphinstone last name: from Elphinstone in East Lothian. Elphinstone is a Scottish surname from the lands of Elphinstone near Tranent in East Lothian. William Elphinstone, bishop of Aberdeen, founded King's College there in 1495. The family later became Lords Elphinstone, and Mountstuart Elphinstone served as governor of Bombay. The last name is still linked with the Lothians.
Arms associated with the Elphinstone name
Coats of arms associated with the Elphinstone surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full Elphinstone family history
This is only a glimpse of the Elphinstone story. The full Elphinstone 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 Elphinstone coat of arms. Get the full Elphinstone report.
Elphinstone name FAQ
What does the Elphinstone name mean?
From Elphinstone in East Lothian. Common variants include Elphinston.
Where does the Elphinstone surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Elphinstone coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Elphinstone coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).