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Elam Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Elam last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Elam coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Elam last name

Meaning of the Elam last name: from Elham. Elam is an English surname from Elham in Kent, an Old English village name often read as eel homestead. The last name moved early to Virginia and is now most common in the American South. A curious detail: the spelling Elam matched a name from the Bible, which made it look familiar to clerks.

Arms associated with the Elam name

Heraldry associated with the Elam surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.

Get your full Elam family history

This is only a glimpse of the Elam story. The full Elam 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 Elam coat of arms. Get the full Elam report.

Elam name FAQ

What does the Elam name mean?

From Elham. Common variants include Elham, Ellam.

Where does the Elam surname come from?

It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Is there a Elam coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Elam coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).