Elk Family History

Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word such as Lakota Sioux hehaka and Cheyenne mo'e(he) meaning ‘elk’. The importance of the elk to Native Americans is reflected in their traditional personal names, some of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English) e.g. Elk Shoulder (see Elkshoulder) and Red Elk (see Redelk).

German: variant of Elke. Americanized form of German Ilg or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname. Perhaps also Dutch (Van Elk): habitational name from the village Ellecom in the province of Gelderland.