From Old English 'ealdra' meaning older or senior; also refers to the elder tree.
Elder is a name with roots running in two parallel directions: toward the elder tree and toward the concept of elderhood itself. The elder tree (Sambucus nigra) has been one of the most mythologically laden plants in European folklore for millennia. In Norse tradition it was sacred to the goddess Freya and believed to house protective spirits; in English folk belief, the Elder Mother (Hyldemor in Danish) was said to inhabit the tree, and one was supposed to ask the tree's permission before cutting its wood.
Medicinally and magically, elderflower and elderberries were central to village herbalism across the continent. To carry the name Elder is to carry a small botanical mythology. The other stream is purely social.
Elder, from the Old English "ealdor," means one who is older and therefore wiser — a leader, a council member, a respected figure in community governance. In Christian traditions from early Protestantism through to contemporary evangelical and LDS communities, an Elder is a formal title of religious leadership. Among the Latter-day Saints in particular, "Elder" is the standard form of address for male missionaries, giving the word a specific devotional connotation for tens of millions of people worldwide.
This ecclesiastical weight adds a dimension of gravitas and calling to the name. As a given first name, Elder is uncommon and carries an arresting, almost paradoxical quality — it evokes seniority on a young person, which lends it a certain distinguished oddness. It has been used occasionally as a surname-turned-forename in the American South and in religious communities, and it sits comfortably alongside the modern taste for occupational and nature names. Its one-syllable clarity and deep sound give it an unpretentious authority.