This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the elephant,' no doubt a complimentary allusion to the big, burly physique of the bearer. Middle English olivaunt.

'Item, pro aula Olefante,' Magister Kyllynworth, 14381: Man. Acad. Oxon.

This hall or smaller college was so called from the sign over the door or gate. Skelton has both 'olyfant' and 'olyphante.' He describes a woman in Eleanor Rummyng as 'Necked lyke an olyfant.' I believe this is a Scottish surname.

1720. Married — Christopher Olivent and Ann Lane: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

1749. — John Olivant and Elizabeth Lester: ibid.

1753. — George Oliphant and Mary Micheau: ibid.

Of Norman origin. The family continued to hold land in Northamptonshire long after the principal branch had removed to Scotland. They were close friends of David I, when as earl of Huntingdon he was "getting the Scottish rust rubbed off" by residence in England. David Holifard saved David I at the rout of Winchester, 1141, and was rewarded by a grant of land in Scotland. The name has undergone a curious change due to popular etymology. The earliest forms are uniformly Olifard and Olyfard (Latin Olifardus). It seems to have been sometimes pronounced Olifat, as in 1296 (Bain, p. 176), and later, in some instances in public record, changed to Oliver. The gradual softening of the name was first into Holifarth and Olifarth, then into Olifart or Olyfart, and lastly into Olyfant or Olyfaunt which gave rise to the canting arms borne by the family."This change was doubtless facilitated if not actually suggested, by the growing popularity of the word Olifaunt, as the name of the "huge earth-shaking beast,' of which the crusaders brought home such marvellous stories" (Anderson, Oliphants, p. xxii). Andrew Oliphant, John Knox's "servant of Sathan," Latinized his name 'Elephantus.' David Olifard, first of the name in Scotland, godson of David I, acquired from the king lands in Roxburghshire, probably after 1141, and appears as witness to several charters of that king, and to later ones by Prince Henry and Malcolm IV. He made grants from his lands to the abbeys of Dryburgh and Jedburgh, and a grant of mam thravam de blodo to the Hospital of Soltre, c. 1153-57 (Soltre, p. 4). By Malcolm IV he appears to have been created 'Justiciarius Laudonie.' An Osbert Olifard held land in the Mearns in first half of the reign of William the Lion. Fulcone Olifard witnessed a charter by Jocelin, bishop of Glasgow, 1175-99 (RMP., p. 109). William Olyfat was a Scots prisoner of war in Rochester, 1296 (Bain, II, p. 359). William Holifarth or Holyfarth held land of the Abbey of Arbroath, 1300 (RAA., II, 9). Aeneas Eliphant was writer to the signet in Edinburgh, 1711. Olephant 1605, Olifant 1459, Olifard 1283, Olifaunt 1317, Oliphand, Olyfant 1326, Olyfaunt 1363, Olyfawnt 1454, Olyphaint 1582, Olyphard a. 1249, and (in Rhymer's Foedera) E' end. See also OLIVER.

(Anglo-French-Latin-Greek) a nickname and sign - name from the Elephant [Middle English olifant, olifaunt, ollivant, oliphant, elyphaunt; Old French olifant, elefant; Latin elepha(n)s, -antis; Greek έλέφας, -αντος, elephant] That ypotame a wonder beest is, More than an olifaunt, i-wis.—King Alex., 5184-5.

Formaystow [mayest thou] surmounten thise olifauntes in gretnesse or weighte of body?—Chaucer, Boece, 782.

With antelop or oliphant —Colkelbie Sow, 448.

V. Oliphant.

Kelham and Halliwell give olifaunt, Anglo-Norman, an elephant.

An elephant-they bear two elephants rampant for supporters, whence probably the name. The family are descended from Sir Walter Oliphant, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Bruce.

OLIFANT: An elephant.