Elkanah was a Levite (a member of the tribe of Levi) (1 Chronicles 6:22–27). After the Israelites conquered the promised land, the Levites received towns in other tribes' territories, including Ephraim (Joshua 21:20).
Elkanah's hometown was Ramah (1 Samuel 2:11). Do not confuse this Ramah with the one in the land of Benjamin (see Joshua 18:25; Judges 19:13; Matthew 2:18).
The region of Zuph got its name from one of Elkanah's ancestors, a Levite from the Kohath clan (1 Chronicles 6:35). Saul first met Samuel in Zuph while looking for his father's donkeys (1 Samuel 9:5).
Elkanah's long family history suggests he was important in society.