Elswick
A habitational surname from a place-name, most likely meaning “El’s farm or settlement.”
The #9,314 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 88,339 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Elswick is a locational surname taken from a place called Elswick, especially the village in Northumberland and also a district of Newcastle upon Tyne. The place-name is generally explained from Old English personal-name or descriptive material plus wīc, meaning a dwelling, farm, or settlement. The first element is usually taken as a personal name or shortened form now no longer transparent, so the full literal sense is not certain.
History
Surnames of this type were commonly adopted by people who had moved away from Elswick and were identified by their former home. The name is most closely associated with northeast England, where the place-name is old and well established. Later bearers carried the surname to other parts of Britain and, eventually, to North America.
Origin
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Fun fact
Elswick is also the name of a historic area in Newcastle upon Tyne, so the surname can point to more than one specific local connection.