Ely Genealogy and Ely Family History Information

Ely or Elye, a patronymic of great antiquity, antedates the Norman conquest of England. The Isle of Ely is said to have derived its name from Helie, the last of a line of kings who ruled over the southern portion of the British Isles three or four centuries before the Christian era. The name was known in France as Helyes, or "the ancient nobility de Heilly, or Helly," of Normandy. (R. P. Ely, W. S. Ely, D. B. Ely, Compilers: "An Historical Narrative of the Ely, Revell and Stacye Families, pp. 27, 35, 70.)