Ely Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Ely last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Ely coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Ely last name
Meaning of the Ely last name: eel district. Ely is an English surname from the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, from Old English el, "eel", and ge, "district", since the fens were rich in eels. It is found in East Anglia and in America. The economist Richard T. Ely carried this last name.
Arms associated with the Ely name
Heraldry associated with the Ely surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Ely family history
This is only a glimpse of the Ely story. The full Ely 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 Ely coat of arms. Get the full Ely report.
Ely name FAQ
What does the Ely name mean?
Eel district. Common variants include Eley, Ealy.
Where does the Ely surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Ely coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Ely coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).