This English surname is recorded in almost every spelling form possible. These are known to include Eldryngton, Eldrington, Ellerton, Ellerington, Ellrington, and Ellington, and all have the same meanings from pre 7th century Olde English. This is basically 'the tun' or village of the Ella people', a famous tribe of the ancient times who held lands mainly in parts of East Anglia and South East England. The tribal name is recorded in such place names as Ellington in Huntingdonshire and Kent, both recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book, and possibly from as far afield as Ellerton in Yorkshire, Ellingham in Hampshire and Ellerton in Shropshire. The 'modern' surname often appears to be a creation from all these place names, but this is probably because of the lack of education before the 19th century, coupled with the 'thickness' of local dialects, which often rendered them foreign languages. The epi-centre of the surname recordings in church registers is the city of London, showing that at various times in history people left their individual villages and moved to the capital city. This resulted in the development of 'sounds like' spellings and the creation of the various forms. Early examples of the surname recordings include John de Ellerton, a Freeman of the city of York in 1306, and later Harry Eldryngton, whose daughter Elizabeth was christened at Christ Church, Greyfriars, city of London, on July 31st 1576, and John Ellerington, who married Ann Lister at St Botolphs Bishopgate, also city of London, on July 12th 1660.

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