Elbridge

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surname of English origin commonly used as a male given name; historically associated with notable figures and families; also the name of places in the United States
2. A proper name of Anglo-Saxon roots applied to individuals and geographical locations; historically significant as a family name and used as a first name in certain regions
3. An English-derived personal and family name that has been adopted for use as a masculine given name and for naming towns or cities in certain English-speaking areas

Etymology: Elbridge is an English given name, and its history is a textbook case of an old surname turning into a first name. It comes from the Old English place-name elements "ellen" or "elle" (elder tree or possibly a personal name) and "brycg" (bridge), so the name originally described a place where a bridge crossed a stream or ford, probably near a stand of elders. Early bearers of the name were known by it as a surname, in records from the medieval period onward, before it was used for children. The name became popular as a first name in America, where the Puritan and Revolutionary-era habit of using surnames as given names made it fashionable. Its best-known bearer is Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and later Vice President under James Madison, who gave his name to the word "gerrymander" when a Massachusetts district he helped shape in 1812 was said to resemble a salamander. Several other figures and places in the United States carry the name, but the Gerry connection is the one most people encounter.