English. In medieval and Elizabethan times Ellyn was a very common spelling variant of Helen and Ellen. It is especially favoured nowadays in the US.
A correspondent [EOS] has sent us the following extracts from a number of sources:
a] "Nurnberg and Rosenblum assert that Ellyn is a 15th century variant. Reaney lists it between 1250 and 1450. On some lists of Elizabethan names it occurs more often than Ellen - by four to one!"
b] "Old records sometimes refer to St. Helen as St. Ellyn. Jones refers to St. Ellyn's chapel on a 17th century map. Other records note the 'Holy Well of St. Ellyn' near Tarleton, Lancashire, England."
c] "A different Welsh saint, known variously as Almedha, Elined and Elliw, is also sometimes identified as Ellyn, as in the 1921 Book of the Saints, by Benedictine monks.
d] "John Foxe names Mistress Ellyn as one of Lady Jane Gray's ladies in waiting, the one to whom she gave her gloves and handkerchief before execution.
e] "Some Welsh families in the New World have used Ellyn as a girl's name in a tribute to their heritage, possibly as a shortened form of the princely name Llewelyn/Llewellyn."
f] "Interesting sidebar: In Manx Gaelic, the word 'ellyn' means 'art, artfulness, manners'."
- Editor's Note: We have omitted the precise references for these sources in the interest of brevity. If you would like to have the full detail, please use the Contact Us button on the left.
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