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Elias History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies South Africa

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Sources

Elias History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Early Origins of the Elias family

The surname Elias was first found in West Lothian where they held a family seat from very ancient times, when Helias son of Huctred was granted the lands of Dundas by Waldef, son of Earl Gospatrick, King of Northumberland in 1180.

Early History of the Elias family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elias research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1178, 1214 and 1300 are included under the topic Early Elias History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elias Spelling Variations

Although the name, Elias, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Helias, Elyas, Elias and others.

Early Notables of the Elias family

More information is included under the topic Early Elias Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elias Ranking

In the United States, the name Elias is the 2,074^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Elias is ranked the 4,801^st most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Elias migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Elias family name Elias, or who bore a variation of the surname were

Elias Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Strause Elias, who arrived in Virginia in 1679 3

Elias Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Elias, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1752
Mathias Elias, who arrived in America in 1781 3

Elias Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jose Mu jica Elias, aged 13, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 3
Lorinzo Elias, aged 16, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 3
Bamaba Elias, aged 46, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 3
Christian Elias, who landed in New York in 1832 3
Heinrich Christian Elias, who landed in America in 1832 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Elias migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Elias Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Aganetha Elias, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
Jacob Elias, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
Jacob E Elias, who landed in Manitoba in 1875
Johan Elias, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
Peter Elias, who landed in Manitoba in 1875

Elias migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Elias Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Esther Elias who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 31st December 1831, arriving in New South Wales, she died in 1881 4
Nicholas Elias, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Phoebe" in 1847 5

Elias migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Elias Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charlotte Elias, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cashmere" in 1853 6

Elias migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 7

Elias Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century

Juan Elias, who landed in Dominican Republic in 1828 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Elias (post 1700) +

Rosalind Elias (1930-2020), American mezzo-soprano, best known for her work at the Metropolitan Opera
Richard Robert Elias (1955-2019), American singer and songwriter based in Nashville
Jonathan Elias (b. 1956), American composer, best known for his film soundtracks
Peter Elias (1923-2001), American computer scientist
Lee Elias (1920-1998), American comics artist
Eliane Elias, Brazilian born, now American jazz musician
Manny Elias (b. 1953), English drummer, the original drummer with Tears for Fears during the 1980s
John Elias (1774-1841), Welsh Methodist preacher, born on 6 May 1774 at a 'small tenement' called Brynllwynbach, in the parish of Abererch, four miles east of Pwllheli in Carnarvonshire 8
Antonio "Toni" Elías Justícia (b. 1983), Spanish multiple award winning motorcyclist
Erick Elías Rabinovitz (b. 1980), Mexican actor
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Elias family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. Dibo Elias (d. 1912), aged 29, Lebanese Third Class passenger from Unknown who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 9
Mr. Joseph Elias Jr. (d. 1912), aged 15, Lebanese Third Class passenger from Kafr Mishki who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 9

The Elias Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Non quo sed quomodo
Motto Translation: Not by whom, but by what means.

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PHOEBE 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Phoebe.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html