Warning : The family connection trees presented in these pages have not all been verified. The output is actually from a project known as DyNAstyDB - which is a 'Single Name yDNA Study' database application that I am in the process of developing. (read more here).

All of West Riding? Not yet, unfortunately, most of the current family data that I have covers mainly the Wakefield and Sheffield areas. Please click here for the last coverage areas.

Why this site? Well, in the course of my genealogical research into my own family and in the development of DyNAstyDB, I have accumulated a lot of data and have tied together over 500 family records, it seemed a shame not to share this work with others. I mean that it what the internet helps us to do and genealogists are great at sharing information. Unfortunately, no-one else seems to be doing anything remotely close to my family! If anything, it may give a big helping hand to people who are starting out on their own family research. In return, I expect I will get verified information back where the database logic has failed allowing me to fine tune some of the logic.

I have heard several versions of the source of the Ellis surname and it variations:

• 'Elliott : and its spelling variations are all based on the popular Middle Ages given name Elijah (My God is Jehovah). Among the many surnames that were adopted as English Patronymic names from Elijah were Ellis, Ellison, Elias , and Elliott First found in Yorkshire where they were located from very ancient times, allegedly before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.......'.
• 'ELLIS was the family who originally came from France with the Conqueror and lived at Kiddal Hall on the York Road for over 400 years from the early 15th century. The first Ellis at Kiddal spelt Elys at that time, was Sir John who died in 1398......'..
• Apparently, it also originated in Wales and is a Celtic name as per http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/ELLIS/origin and maybe http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/NameSelection.aspx?name=ELLIS&year=1998&altyear=1881&country=GB&type=name. This origin is refuted at http://anenglishmanschronicles.terapad.com/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.uxcntmhpiaradqwv&pageId=143331
• Or Hebrew as per http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Ellis or http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/e/bl_name-ELLIS.htm

Personally, I am for the Yorkshire origins but then I am biased 8-).

Please select an option from the top menu to view some of the pages made available on this site. I have tried to provide a means of feed-back on all the relevant pages as well as a link to my genealogy blog.

I am a very temperamental person, so sometimes it may be very quiet on the site and then that will be followed by a flurry of activity so keep checking back for updates etc.

This website created and maintained by
Benjamin Ellis, Birmingham UK - 2005