This unusual and interesting name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, from an Old English pre 7th Century personal name, 'Aethelric', which is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 in the Latinized form of 'Aethericus'. The personal name is composed of the Old English elements 'aethel', noble, and 'ric', power, or ruler, and other examples in the Domesday Book include 'Adelric', 'Egelric', 'Alrich' and 'Elric'. The personal name has generated a great number and variety of modern surnames, among them, Aldrich, Allderidge, Eldridge, Etheredge, Etheridge, Etteridge, Ettridge, Ettritch, Athridge and Attridge. The surname development includes John Etherych (1524, Suffolk) and Henry Etheridge and William Etteredge (1674, ibid.). The marriage of Edward Ettritch and Mary Andrews was recorded at St. Leonards, Shoreditch, London, on September 20th 1879. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Jacobus Atteriche, which was dated 1276, The Berkshire Hundred Rolls, during the reign of King Edward 1, 'The Hammer of the Scots', 1272-1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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