Oliphant Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Oliphant last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Oliphant last name
Meaning of the Oliphant last name: elephant. Oliphant is a Scottish surname from Old French olifant, "elephant", probably a nickname or a house sign. The family came from Northamptonshire and settled in Perthshire, where they became Lords Oliphant. Novelist Margaret Oliphant and the poet Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne, carried this last name.
Arms associated with the Oliphant name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Oliphant name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Oliphant family history
This is only a glimpse of the Oliphant story. The full Oliphant 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 Oliphant coat of arms. Get the full Oliphant report.
Oliphant name FAQ
What does the Oliphant name mean?
Elephant. Common variants include Olifant, Olyphant.
Where does the Oliphant surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Oliphant coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Oliphant 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).