Ellul

Ellul is a Maltese surname. Found in 1419 (Hellul) residing in Casali Dragu Gazara et Maritatu, Malta of Siculo-Arabic origin. The surname Hellul was first recorded in Calatatrasi, Sicily (near modern day Corleone) in 1178. Ellul is almost certainly derived from the Arabic ‎أيلول (aylūl) meaning September, as it was likely a nickname given for someone born in September. However Ellul may also be derived from the Arabic word هِلَال (hilāl) meaning crescent moon, as the crescent moon is found on the family’s coat of arms.

Another common theory is that Ellul is of Jewish origin, coming from the hebrew word אֱלוּל (elūl), however this is almost certainly incorrect early records list individuals with the surname Hellul (and variants) as a Christian family prior to the expulsion of Jews from Malta. An excerpt taken states “What is certain is that it is not, as suggested by Aquilina ("Race and Language," 187) and Wettinger ("Origin of 'Maltese' Surnames," 341), a Jewish surname, since all the individuals named Hellul in fifteenth century Malta before the expulsion of the Jews were Christian. Fiorini ("Sicilian Connexions" 106) cites 'Alún, a surname occurring in Sicily in 1178, as a cognate, but it is improbable that there is any connection, given that none of the 1419 and 1480 graphies has -n. The name (Benedicto) Hellun recorded for Casal Chircop in 1601 is obviously a variant of Hellul.” Further evidence to Ellul’s Christian heritage is found in documents from the 1700s, naming individuals Michele Giorgio Gellul and Vincenzo Gellul as “Maronite(s) from Beirut”. This indicates that Ellul is of some sort of Middle Eastern Christian origin, likely Maronite Catholic.

Older (possible) variations include: Hellul, Hellule, Hellun, Alūn, Gellul Notable people with the surname include:

Notable people with the surname include:

Andy Ellul (born 1975), Maltese politician

Anthony Ellul (born August 1966), Maltese judge

Jacques Ellul (1912–1994), French (of partial Maltese heritage) philosopher, sociologist, theologian, and Christian anarchist

Massimo Ellul (born 1970), Maltese businessman

Emanuel Ellul, Maltese economist

See also